Abstract:
The present invention includes a dispensing device denoting dosage with an audible signal. The dispensing device comprising: a drive mechanism comprising a threaded shaft and a screw; an elevator movable upwards and downwards on the threaded shaft upon turning of the screw; a barrel at least partially enclosing the drive mechanism, the barrel defining a stovepipe, the stovepipe defining an inner surface, facing the screw of the drive mechanism; at least one indentation defined by the inner surface of the stovepipe; and at least one bump defined by the screw so that turning the screw moves the bump into and out of the indentation, creating an audible signal.

Description:
The present invention relates to a device with an audible dose signal and to a method for making a device with an audible dose signal. 
   BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
   Swivel-up dispensing devices have been a popular choice for dispensing antiperspirant materials. One type of dispensing device is described in U.S. Pat. No. 5,000,356 (&#39;356). The &#39;356 patent describes a dispensing package that uses a feed screw to drive an elevator which impels a cream product and dispenses the product in incremental doses. A drive of the feed screw is superimposed with reciprocatory motion caused by internal cams which retract the elevator. By intermittently retracting the elevator a particular distance, discrete amounts of the product are dispensed for each cycle and the residual pressure on the product is relieved, preventing it from weeping onto the application surface of the dispenser. 

   
     DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
       FIG. 1  is a perspective, cutaway view of dispensing device that produces an audible signal, of the present invention. 
       FIG. 2  is a cutaway perspective view of the dispensing device of the present invention, illustration the audible signal mechanism. 
       FIG. 3  is a perspective view of one embodiment of the audible signal mechanism of the present invention. 
       FIG. 4  is a perspective view of a drive mechanism of the dispensing device of the present invention. 
       FIG. 5  is a perspective, cutaway view of the dispensing device, illustrating the audible click mechanism. 
       FIG. 6  is a perspective, cutaway view of the audible signal mechanism of the device of the present invention. 
   

   SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
   One embodiment of the present invention includes a dispensing device that signals dosage of a cosmetic material, with an audible signal. The dispensing device includes a drive mechanism comprising a threaded shaft and a rotating element. The dispensing device also includes an elevator movable upwards and downwards on the threaded shaft upon rotation of the drive mechanism. The dispensing device further includes a barrel at least partially enclosing the drive mechanism and cosmetic material being dispensed, the barrel defining a stovepipe, the stovepipe defining an inner surface, facing the rotating element of the drive mechanism. The dispensing device further includes at least one indentation defined by the inner surface of the stovepipe; and at least one bump defined by the drive mechanism so that rotating the rotating element and screw moves the bump into and out of the indentation, creating an audible signal. 
   Another embodiment of the present invention includes a dispensing device denoting dosage with an audible signal. The dispensing device includes a drive mechanism comprising a threaded shaft and a rotating element. The dispensing device also includes an elevator movable upwards and downwards on the threaded shaft upon rotating of the rotating element. The dispensing device further includes a barrel at least partially enclosing the drive mechanism. The barrel defines a stovepipe. The stovepipe defines an inner surface, facing the screw of the drive mechanism. The dispensing device also includes at least one bump defined by the inner surface of the stovepipe and at least one indent defined by the screw so that rotating the screw moves the bump into and out of the indentation, creating an audible signal. 
   DETAILED DESCRIPTION 
   The dispenser of the present invention, one embodiment of which is illustrated generally at  10  in  FIG. 1 , includes a barrel  12 , an overcap  14  that is attachable to the barrel  12 , a drive mechanism  16  for driving deodorant or other material enclosed in the barrel  12  out of the barrel, and an audible signal mechanism  18 , illustrated in  FIGS. 5 and 6 , that is at least partially enclosed within the barrel  12  and that is activated by the drive mechanism  16 . The dispensing device of the present invention  10  is usable for dispensing antiperspirant and other cosmetic gels and creams. The dispensing device of the present invention  10  produces an audible signal denoting dosage or dosage fraction by employing an audible signal mechanism  18 . The audible signal mechanism  18  does not require use of a cam-driven mechanism, that has traditionally been employed. The audible signal mechanism  18  is built into the barrel  12  and drive mechanism  16 . 
   The barrel  12  of the dispensing device  10  is made from any material capable of holding a barrel shape and includes materials such as polymers, metals, composite materials and glass. In the embodiment shown in  FIG. 1 , the barrel  12  terminates in a lip  50 . While a lip  50  is shown, other suitable attachment embodiments include one or more threads for retaining the overcap  14 . An opposing end of the barrel  12  defines an inner stovepipe  34 . Once the device  10  is assembled, the stovepipe  34  is adjacent to the drive mechanism  16 . 
   The stovepipe  34  includes an outer, stepped surface  35  that faces the inner barrel wall under the antiperspirant containment and an inner surface  37  that faces the drive mechanism  16 . The inner surface  37  includes one component embodiment of the audible signal mechanism  18 , which is a plurality of indents, also known herein as splines,  24   a ,  24   b ,  24   c  and  24   d , shown in  FIG. 3  and a deep indent  24   e , adjacent to splines  24   c  and  24   d.    
   The drive mechanism  16  of the dispensing device  10  includes a smooth turning feed screw  20  and an elevator  22  wherein the feed screw  20  raises the elevator  22 , as the feed screw  20  is turned in a first direction, which may be clock-wise or counter-clockwise. The elevator  22  includes an elevator cup  16   a  that is, in some embodiments, integral with the elevator. The elevator  22  is lowered by reversing direction of the feed screw  20  rotation. The feed screw  20  is rotated to raise the elevator  22 , in order to dispense a stick product, which is not shown. The feed screw is rotated by turning knob  56 . The knob  56  defines a bottom sealing plug  59  for sealing antiperspirant or other cosmetic product in the barrel  12 . For some embodiments, the drive mechanism  16  is used to dispense a gel or creme type cosmetic product. 
   In one embodiment, the drive mechanism  16  includes a plurality of bumps, one of which is shown at  26  in  FIG. 2 , that act in concert with the splines  24   a ,  24   b ,  24   c  and  24   d  of the audible signal mechanism  18  to create an audible signal when a dosage or fraction of a dosage is dispensed. 
   In one embodiment, the audible signal mechanism  18  includes the plurality of splines  24   a ,  24   b ,  24   c , and  24   d , shown in  FIG. 3 , and one or more detente bumps, one of which is shown at  26  in  FIG. 6 , that are built into the stovepipe  34  and drive mechanism  16 , respectively, of the dispensing device  10 . In particular, the drive mechanism includes an upper surface  58 , illustrated in  FIG. 6 , that contacts the inner surface of the stovepipe  34  that defines splines  24   a ,  24   b ,  24   c  and  24   d . Movement of the feed screw  20 , radially moves the one or more detente bumps  26 . As the bumps  26  contact and move over the splines  24   a ,  24   b ,  24   c , and  24   d , positioned on the stovepipe  34 , the contact produces an audible noise. The bumps  26  or splines  24   a ,  24   b ,  24   c  and  24   d  are positionable so that one audible sound is produced for a dosage. With this embodiment, rotation of the feed screw produces an audible “click” signal when the four bumps pass over four corresponding splines. 
   In another embodiment, one of the splines,  24   e , is larger and, optionally, deeper than the splines  24   a  to  24   d . The bumps are positioned equidistant from each other and relative to the rotation of the feed screw to denote dosage. The audible signal in this embodiment includes a series a small, “clicks” and another click, producing a different audible sound, denoting that one rotation has been completed. While four bumps are described, it is understood that more bumps  26  and fewer bumps are usable in embodiments of the device of the present invention. 
   In one other embodiment, which is not shown, the audible signal mechanism includes one bump  26  and one spline  24 . An audible signal is produced when the bump  26  moves over the spline  24  as the drive mechanism  16  is rotated. In another embodiment, an audible noise is produced only when the bump  26  contacts the spline  24   e.    
   In another embodiment, the audible noise produced by the device of the present invention denotes a fraction of a dosage. For instance, one embodiment of the audible signal mechanism  18  includes two splines on the stovepipe and one bump on the drive mechanism  16 . The splines are positioned equidistant from each other. The bump produces an audible signal denoting that a fraction of a dosage is dispensed as the bump passes over each of the splines. 
   While embodiments have been described with the splines  24  positioned on the stovepipe and the bumps  26  on the drive mechanism  16 , it is understood that other configurations are possible. In another embodiment, the splines are built into the drive and the bumps are built into the barrel. 
   The dispensing device of the present invention is capable of dispensing either a solid stick product or a gel or cream type product through a dispensing screen. Components included in the mechanism that provides the audible click, such as the spline and detent components, are built into the barrel and the screw. 
   In one embodiment, the dispensing device is packaged in a box or other type of enclosure. The package is used for both solid sticks and the gel/cream antiperspirants. The common barrel  12  is fitted with a separate embodiment of the drive mechanism for a gel-type product. 
   When the solid stick feed screw is snapped into the stovepipe and turned, it drives the product elevator with a smooth-turning motion. As there are no detent ribs  42  present, there is no interference from the barrel splines. Thus, a common barrel serves to produce two different effects: a smooth-running dispensing of a solid stick product and, with the use of a detent screw, an audible sound useful in determining the quantity of a gel or cream product that is being dispensed. The package of the present invention may be made by standard methods known in the art such as injection molding. Materials from which the package and its component parts may be formed include polyethylene, polypropylene, polyethylene terphthalate and other polyesters as well as other polymeric materials such as polystyrene, polystyrene copolymers, polyvinylchloride and polyvinylchloride copolymers and combinations and mixtures thereof. 
   The assembled container when filled with a solid stick material such as a deodorant is used by simply removing the slide-on cap and turning the thumbscrew to elevate a desired portion of the solid stick material. In the case where a cream or gel formulation is used, a cap or dispensing screen through which the material is extruded covers the top inner portion of the container. By rotating the exposed thumbscrew  40 , the material is dispensed and a clicking sound is heard to indicate the quantity of material being dispensed to the user. 
   Although specific embodiments have been illustrated and described herein, it is appreciated by those of ordinary skill in the art that any arrangement which is calculated to achieve the same purpose may be substituted for the specific embodiment shown. This application is intended to cover any adaptions or variations of the present invention. Therefore, it is manifestly intended that this invention be limited only by the claims and the equivalents thereof.