Abstract:
A system for displaying and dispensing has a plurality of dispensers each having a hollow body formed with at least one wall of flexible material, and a dispensing opening through a wall of the body, the body providing a default internal volume, such that deforming the hollow body reduces the internal volume, increasing pressure within the internal volume, and a support structure to which the plurality of dispensers is joined, the support structure presenting the plurality of dispensers in a specific three-dimensional pattern.

Description:
CROSS REFERENCE TO RELATED DOCUMENTS 
     The present invention claims priority to Provisional Patent Application Ser. No. 61/861,201 filed on Aug. 1, 2013, and incorporates all of the disclosure of the priority application at least by reference. 
    
    
     BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
     1. Field of the Invention 
     The present invention is in the field of display and dispenser products including aroma-based material dispensers and pertains particularly to methods and apparatus for displaying dispensers and dispensing a material. 
     2. Discussion of the State of the Art 
     In the field of dispenser products, there are many examples of material dispensers in the art such as spray bottles like perfume samplers and the like or apparatus such as sponges containing reservoirs for dispensing perfumed soap, etc. Typically these sampler apparatuses are loosely associated with a display area or marketing area selling the materials such as perfume and the like that may be sampled. Persons may walk away with such products or they may be lost while being moved or stored. 
     It has occurred to the inventor that if a plurality of material dispensers could be provided more economically with fewer moving parts and displayed in a fashion that is not only visually satisfying, but convenient for sampling, materials might be sampled more often, which might lead to better sales and better retention of the dispensers associated with the display. 
     Therefore, what is clearly needed is a material dispensing apparatus that displays a plurality of material dispensers as an accessible but secured group of economical dispensers made available for use by patrons. 
     BRIEF SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
     In one embodiment of the present invention a system for displaying and dispensing is provided, comprising a plurality of dispensers each having a hollow body formed with at least one wall of flexible material, and a dispensing opening through a wall of the body, the body providing a default internal volume, such that deforming the hollow body reduces the internal volume, increasing pressure within the internal volume, and a support structure to which the plurality of dispensers is joined, the support structure presenting the plurality of dispensers in a specific three-dimensional pattern. 
     In one embodiment the system further comprises a powder, liquid or gaseous material within the internal volume, such that deforming the hollow body causes ejection of the material through the dispensing opening as a powder, a spray, a mist, a gas, a liquid, or a vapor, depending upon the nature of the material. Also in one embodiment individual ones of the dispensers further comprise an introduction opening formed in the body, the introduction opening adapted to receive the powder, liquid or gaseous material from an introduction source. Also in one embodiment the introduction source is one of a syringe, a canister, a pressurized cartridge, or a reservoir with a pump. 
     In yet another embodiment of the system the dispensing opening includes a flexible member that closes the dispensing opening in the situation of equal pressure on each side of the opening, and allows material to pass in the situation of unequal pressure across the opening. In another embodiment the system further comprises a base plate or a ceiling mount plate connected to one end of the support structure. In still another embodiment the support structure comprises a plurality of tethers or cables joined to and supporting individual ones of the dispensers. 
     In one embodiment the tethers or cables are attached at one end to a hub supported either on a vertical support from the base plate, or from the ceiling mounting plate. Also in one embodiment the tethers or cables are extensible from the hub and retractable into the hub. Also in one embodiment the support structure comprises conduits joined to the dispensers at the introduction openings, such that the powder, liquid or gaseous material is introduced through the conduit structure from an external source. 
     In another embodiment individual ones of the dispensers further comprise graphic indicia. In another embodiment the hollow body holds a sponge-like material absorbing liquid introduced through the introduction opening. In still another embodiment the system further includes a reactive material within the hollow body, the reactive material reacting with introduced material to produce a dispensed material. And in one embodiment the dispensers are removably attached to the tethers or cables by snap fittings. 
    
    
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE SEVERAL VIEWS OF THE DRAWINGS 
         FIG. 1  is an elevation view of a dispenser apparatus assembled as a stand in an embodiment of the present invention. 
         FIG. 2  illustrates a single material dispenser in an embodiment of the invention. 
         FIG. 3  is an elevation view of a dispenser apparatus assembled as a hanging apparatus according to an alternative embodiment of the invention. 
         FIG. 4  is an elevation view of a dispenser apparatus assembled as a tree structure in yet another alternative embodiment. 
         FIG. 5  is an elevation view of a material dispenser formed about a sponge like material in one embodiment. 
         FIG. 6  is an elevation view of a material dispenser formed about a reactive material in one embodiment. 
         FIG. 7  is a partial view of a material dispenser apparatus having a modular material dispenser connectable thereto in one embodiment. 
         FIG. 8  is an elevation view of a dispenser apparatus according to another alternative embodiment supporting a single material communication pathway to each material dispenser. 
     
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION 
     In various embodiments described in enabling detail herein, the inventor provides an apparatus for dispensing a material. The present invention is described in enabling detail using the following examples, which may describe more than one relevant embodiment falling within the scope of the present invention. 
       FIG. 1  is an elevation view of a dispenser apparatus assembled as a stand in one embodiment of the present invention. In this embodiment a stand with a base plate  101  and a vertical support shaft  102  has a tether mechanism  103  connected to the shaft at the top. The tether mechanism may comprise cords, cables or rigid supports or conduits  105  that hold material dispensers also referred to as dispenser balls  104 . There will typically be more than one material dispenser, and in some cases several material dispensers  104 . In some embodiments the material dispensers may be in various colors, and there may be graphic indicia  106 , text or pictures, and in some cases the indicia will identify material within the dispensers. 
     Base plate  101  may be a weighted plate and in one embodiment vertical shaft  102  may be some other vertical support without departing from the spirit and scope of the present invention. Shaft  102  may be a metal rod or tube that is male-threaded at both ends to support attachment to base plate  104  and to tether hub  103 , both the base plate and the hub having a compatible female thread provided therein for the purpose. 
     In this embodiment each ball (material dispenser)  104  may be supported by a tether  105  at a different height relative to other retained balls and the floor upon which base plate  104  may rest. Tethers  105  may, in one embodiment, be extended or pulled out from or be caused to retract back into tether mechanism  103 . In this embodiment the tether mechanism may spool each tether, and in some embodiments the mechanism is enabled to hold a position where a user may release or otherwise disconnect a dispenser ball from its tether. In  FIG. 1  individual dispenser balls are shown extended or retracted to different positions. Dispenser ball  104  may be molded, using a relatively resilient polymer or rubber material, in a shape other than a ball or sphere without departing from the spirit and scope of the present invention. A material dispenser such as dispenser ball  104  may take the form of a recognizable object such as a piece of fruit like an orange, banana, or essentially any recognizable object. Other shapes may be adopted as well according to industry type, display product type, and other user preferences. 
       FIG. 2  illustrates a single material dispenser  104  in an embodiment of the invention. Material dispensers or dispenser balls  104  may be used to dispense a spray, a mist or a vapor of a substance like, for example, cologne or perfume, depending at least in part on the nature of the material that may be in the dispenser. In one embodiment dispenser balls  104  may be adapted to dispense a powder, a liquid, or a gas without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention. 
     In this and some other embodiments dispenser balls  104  are made or molded of a polymer material that retains it&#39;s shape as a hollow sphere if not deformed intentionally by external pressure, but may be deformed to a lesser volume by, for example squeezing the ball. Balls may be of various sizes in one embodiment, or all having the same diameter, and may vary widely in diameter or dimensions of other shapes over different embodiments of the invention. 
     In the embodiment described here each ball  104  may have at least one dispenser opening  201 . Dispenser opening may be a valve, or passage, which may be enabled as a one-way orifice to spray or otherwise dispense as a result of pressure or force applied to the dispenser ball  104  by a user, or even by a mechanism manipulated by a user. One method of applying force may be physically squeezing the ball by a user&#39;s hand. Ball  104  in this embodiment also has at least one fill opening  202  with one-way passage into the ball. Opening  202  may be a unidirectional input valve adapted to accept a material for dispensing that is introduced into the inner volume of the ball via opening  202 . The valve&#39;s unidirectional characteristic may prevent material from dispensing through or otherwise exiting opening  202  when the ball is physically deformed or otherwise subjected to pressure or force to dispense the material. 
     In one embodiment dispenser ball  104  may be recharged by, for example, a syringe  203  inserted into opening  202 . In some embodiments instead of a syringe, a pressurized canister, a pressurized cartridge, or a reservoir and pump might be used to charge a dispenser ball. Different methods of material introduction may depend at least in part of the exact material being dispensed. In some cases material in the dispenser ball may be a powder (solid), a liquid, a gas, or a vapor. In one embodiment a liquid  204  may be injected up to a fill line. The liquid will support, by evaporation, a vapor over the liquid, and it will be the vapor that is dispensed when the ball is deformed, assuming of course that the dispenser opening is above the fill line. In other embodiments the liquid fill may be above dispenser opening  201 , and deformation will dispense a spray of the liquid. In yet other embodiments the material may be gaseous, and injected as a gas, so gas will be dispensed. In some embodiments tethers may be conduits, and material may be introduced to dispenser balls through the tethers from one or more reservoirs. An example is described below with reference to  FIG. 8 . 
     Dispense and fill openings may be variously implemented in a ball  104  relative to position of attachment of tether  105 , and in some cases there may be different numbers of such openings on a single material dispenser ball. Dispenser openings such as opening  201  may be a simple bi-directional opening without departing from the spirit and scope of the present invention. In a variation of this embodiment there may be a plurality of dispenser openings  201  on dispenser ball  104  that may be small enough in diameter to be restrictive to pass-through of dispensed material but less restrictive when pressure such as squeezing is applied to dispenser ball  104 . 
     In the embodiment described immediately above the resiliency of the dispenser ball causes it to reassume original shape after being temporarily deformed by squeezing. During this process (re-expansion) air may pass into the ball through the dispenser passages. Such a design consideration may be dependant on the material dispensed, for example, a fine powder may be dispensed through the multiple dispense openings  201  repeatedly by continued squeeze and release of the dispenser ball. In some embodiments a separate air ingress opening with one-way passage into the ball may be provided on an upper portion of the dispenser ball. 
       FIG. 3  is an elevation view of a dispenser apparatus assembled as a hanging apparatus according to an alternative embodiment of the invention. In this particular configuration tether mechanism  103  is suspended from a ceiling or other overhead structure by mounting the assembly to the overhead structure using a ceiling plate  302 . In this embodiment the vertical structure may be a cable or cord  301  rather than a shaft or tubular structure depicted in  FIG. 1  as shaft  102 . Tether mechanism  103  may enable tethers to be pulled out from it or to be caused to retract into it. This feature is optional and not a limitation for practicing the invention. In some embodiments element  103  may be a passive element to attach tethers. 
       FIG. 4  is an elevation view of a dispenser apparatus assembled as a tree structure in yet another alternative embodiment. In this example dispenser balls  104  are supported on a tree-like structure comprising a ceiling mount  302  a vertical support shaft  402 , and a plurality of elongate members  401 , each elongate member  401  connected, at one end, to a material dispenser ball  104  and at the opposite end to vertical support shaft  402 , or to other elongate members eventually connection back to the shaft. In this arrangement the structure supporting the balls is branched in a way that suggests, for example a bunch of grapes. This structure may be suspended from above or from a pedestal support like in  FIG. 1  as well. The members  401  may be rigid, supporting a particular shape to the assembly, or may be semi-rigid, un which case gravity will affect the shape, or even less rigid, such that the balls will hang loosely together. 
     In one embodiment elongate members  401  are solid arcuate tubes, wires, or rods and project downward. In another embodiment elongate members  401  may be flex links or flex hoses. In one embodiment members  401  are arcuate tubes or solid rods welded together and to shaft  402 . In one embodiment shaft  402  is rotatably connected to ceiling plate  302  such that the lower assemble may rotate about the shaft. In one embodiment, members  401  may be hollow tubes and dispenser balls  104  are held against the ends of the members by a stretch cord extending into each tube and anchored. In such an embodiment a user may pull the dispenser ball away from the assembly for use and then release it when done. The stretch cord pulls the ball back to the end of the tube. 
     Dispenser balls  104 , as described above, may carry different materials of different sorts in one apparatus, and in some cases the balls themselves may be different shapes and different colors, and may represent different sorts of objects. For example, balls  104  may be realized as articles of fruit, such as blueberries, raspberries, strawberries, and other shapes as well. 
       FIG. 5  is an elevation view of a material dispenser  500  formed about a sponge like material  501  in one embodiment. Dispenser ball  500  is analogous to ball  104  previously depicted accept that it is formed about and encapsulates sponge-like material  501  (depicted as a broken boundary). This may be achieved during a molding process. Input or introduction valve  202  may accept syringe  203  filled with a liquid material for dispensing. Sponge  501  may take up the liquid, retaining the liquid within the sponge for repeated use. A user squeezing ball  104  may dispense aroma or vapor from within ball  104  through dispense opening or valve  201 . 
       FIG. 6  is an elevation view of a material dispenser  600  formed about a reactive material  601  in one embodiment. Dispenser ball  600  is analogous to dispenser ball  104  previously depicted except for that it is formed about and encapsulates reactive material  601  (depicted as a broken boundary with emanating arrow pattern). This may be achieved during a molding process. Input or introduction valve  202  may accept a material from syringe  203  or from another input vessel such as a pressurized gas cartridge or spray canister for example. The input material may be selected for reaction with reactive material  601  to produce a desired aroma, vapor, fragrance, or other dispensed material. 
     Material  601  does not have to be reactive as the material introduced into the ball may be reactive. The material used to create a reaction may vary depending on application. To illustrate one possible use case, reactive material  601  may be a menthol-based cube or block activated by warm moist air or steam. In a variation of this embodiment a slow reaction may be initiated where vapor or gas released as the desired byproduct of the reaction continuously expands within the dispenser ball increasing pressure until some of the material automatically dispenses or escapes through one or more dispense passages. It is important to note herein that encapsulating a sponge or reactive (solid) material within the dispenser ball is not a requirement in practice of the present invention. 
       FIG. 7  is a partial view of a material dispenser apparatus  700  having a modular material dispenser  704  connectable thereto in one embodiment. Dispenser ball  704  is analogous to dispenser ball  104  depicted previously accept for that it has an opening  703  placed there through for accepting a cone-shaped or ball-shaped snap head  702  formed on the connecting end of an elongate member  701 . Opening  703  in one embodiment does not extend into the interior cavity of the ball. The inside diameter of opening  703  is small enough to be temporarily stretched outward by insertion of snap head  702 . Once the snap head is pressed in through the opening, the diameter of the opening shrinks back due to material resiliency and retains the ball on the end of the elongate member. In such an embodiment, the ball may be easily removed for use and for recharging with materials for dispensing. 
       FIG. 8  is an elevation view of a dispenser apparatus  800  according to another alternative embodiment supporting a single material communication pathway to each material dispenser. Dispenser apparatus  800  resembles the tree-like structure mentioned in description of  FIG. 4 . The structure involves a base plate  802 , a vertical support tube  801  connected to the base plate, and a plurality of elongate members  806 , each member connected at one end to a material dispenser  804  and at the opposite end to tube  801  or another member  806  in the tree. 
     In one embodiment the elongate members are arcuate tubes open at both ends such that connection from one tube to another and to vertical tube  801  form a continuous tubular material pathway that may be used to charge all of the material dispenser balls  804  simultaneously. In this embodiment dispenser balls  804  may be connected to respective tube ends via the unidirectional input valve or opening provided for the purpose. 
     Tube  801  may be threaded into base plate  802  and may communicate with a horizontal pathway (conduit)  803  provided through the plate and connecting to a material source (M)  805 . Material source  805  may be an electronic device, a pressurized container, a pump, or some other delivery utility capable of distributing material into each connected dispenser ball  804  via base plate  802 , into and through tube  801  in the direction of the arrows, into the tubular elongate members, and into each dispenser ball. Tube  801  may be capped above the level of the connected member tubes. In one embodiment charging dispenser balls  804  with material from source  805  may be automated and may happen periodically. In one embodiment different materials may be rotated through presentation by selecting a next material at each charge period. IN another embodiment there may be more than one source  805 , and there may be separate passages though the tubular structure. 
     Tubes may be threaded and may be threaded onto the vertical tube and to other member tubes. Tubes may be welded together and to the vertical tube at specific openings created for enabling the pathway through the structure once welded tight. In this example, ball  804  has multiple or a plurality of dispense passages  807  provided through the wall of the dispenser. In one embodiment the material used to fabricate ball  804  is porous enough to dispense material through natural openings generic to the level of porosity in the material. 
     In various embodiments, the dispensing apparatuses according to embodiments of the invention may dispense materials such as air fresheners, deodorants, and other substances as well. In one embodiment they may dispense a bacterial agent. Such apparatus may be placed in kitchens, bathrooms, hospitals, bedrooms, offices and other places as well. 
     In another use case, dispensing apparatuses may be utilized in retail stores, or in marketing environments, serving as displays, that may in many embodiments be working models to demonstrate just what may be done with the apparatus. 
     It will also be apparent to the skilled person that the arrangement of elements and functionality for the invention is described in different embodiments in which each is exemplary of an implementation of the invention. These exemplary descriptions do not preclude other implementations and use cases not described in detail. The elements and functions may vary, as there are a variety of ways the apparatus may be implemented within the scope of the invention. The invention is limited only by the breadth of the claims below.