Abstract:
A bracelet to be worn on the wrist which includes a dispenser for dispensing liquid or powdered materials such as sunblocks or germicides. The dispenser on the palm side of the wrist and when the user presses an activator, the dispenser emits a portion of the material onto the user&#39;s palm. The dispenser is approximately the size of a wrist watch. A preferred embodiment of the dispenser employs a pump which will work at any orientation. The pump uses air pressure differences produced by the movement of a piston to pull the material into a chamber and expel it from the chamber through a one-way valve. The one-way valve in a preferred embodiment of the pump is made from a silicon diaphragm which opens when it flexes in response to pressure differences and a support for the diaphragm which permits it to flex in only one direction.

Description:
CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS 
       [0001]    This patent application claims priority from U.S. provisional patent application 60/717,507, John Yapaola, Wrist-mounted dispenser for hand-applied materials, filed Sep. 15, 2005, and 60/811,008, John Yapaola and David Conroy, Wristband-mounted topical lotion/liquid dispenser, filed Jun. 5, 2006. Each of these provisional patent applications is incorporated by reference into the present patent application for all purposes. 
     
    
     STATEMENT REGARDING FEDERALLY SPONSORED RESEARCH OR DEVELOPMENT 
       [0002]    Not applicable. 
       REFERENCE TO A SEQUENCE LISTING 
       [0003]    Not applicable. 
       BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
       [0004]    1. Field of the Invention 
         [0005]    The invention relates to dispensers of liquids and powders and more particularly to such dispensers that dispense the liquid or powder in discrete amounts. 
         [0006]    2. Description of Related Art 
         [0007]    There are many situations in which it is desirable to frequently apply a topical lotion or powder by hand. One example is the application of lotions or germicidal solutions to the hands; another is the application of sunblock or suntan lotion; a third is the application of insect repellant. Frequent application is often made more difficult by the fact that the need to apply occurs in an environment such as work or the beach where it may be inconvenient to get to a bottle of the lotion or powder. A disclosure of one approach to solving the problem of having a solution or powder available when you need it could be found on Apr. 14, 2006 at www.wristbands.com.au/sun_screen_wristbands.htm. The sun screen wristband disclosed there is a tube containing 50 mL of sunscreen. The tube is closed with a cap and has the form of a bracelet that can be worn on the wrist or arm. To apply the sunscreen, one removes the bracelet from the arm and then applies sunscreen as one does from an ordinary tube of sunscreen: one opens the cap, uses one hand to squeeze the sunscreen out of the tube into the palm of the other hand, and then applies the sunscreen. While this approach is useful for applying sunscreen, which need be done only every two hours or so, it has a number of practical and aesthetic drawbacks:
       The process of application, which involves removing the bracelet, opening the cap, and squeezing out the sunblock, is too time consuming for use with substances such as germicides, which must be applied at far more frequent intervals;   The bracelet has no mechanism for providing measured amounts of sunblock.   The bracelet is not refillable;   The bracelet is too bulky and conspicuous to be worn with ordinary white- or pink-collar work clothes.       
 
         [0012]    What is needed is a wristband that dispenses a material, but is easier to use, provides measured amounts of the material, is refillable, and may be worn with ordinary white- or pink-collar work clothes. It is an object of the present invention to provide such a wristband. 
       BRIEF SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
       [0013]    The object of the invention is achieved by a bracelet that has attached to it a dispenser for dispensing a material. The dispenser has a space for the material, a nozzle, and an activator and responds to pressure of a finger on the activator by emitting a portion of the material in the space through the nozzle. Further aspects of the invention include the following:
       the bracelet is worn on the wrist with the dispenser on the palm side of the wrist and the nozzle is situated on the dispenser such that the emitted material is directed towards the palm of the hand attached to the wrist.   the dispenser is aimable. One way of aiming the dispenser is by flexing the bracelet.   the space may be refilled with the material.   the material is contained in a container and the space is refilled by placing the container in the space.   The material may be a liquid or a powder and may have germicidal or sunblocking properties.   The dispenser comprises a pump that responds to the pressure of a finger on the activator by pumping material from the space through the nozzle. The pump is not affected by the orientation of the dispenser.   The dispenser is approximately the size of the watch in a wristwatch and the bracelet may additionally be used in any way in which a bracelet has been or will be used.       
 
         [0021]    The pump used in a preferred embodiment of the dispenser has a piston that moves in a tube. The tube has an end and a first one-way valve in a wall of the tube. The one-way valve admits air to the tube but blocks air from escaping from the tube. The pump further has an air-tight chamber which is connected to the end of the tube and is capable of being connected by a second one-way valve to a source of the material. The second one-way valve opens only when the pressure in the chamber is lower than the pressure on the material in the source of material, The air-tight chamber is further connected to a third one-way valve that opens only when the pressure in the chamber is higher than the pressure on the other side of the valve. Operation of the pump when the source of material is connected to the chamber is as follows: when the piston is moved away from the end of the tube, the pressure in the chamber is decreased and as a result, a portion of the material moves from the source through the second one-way valve into the chamber until the piston passes the first one-way valve. When the piston is then moved back toward the end of the tube, the pressure in the tube is increased and as a result, material in the chamber moves through the third one-way valve. 
         [0022]    In other aspects, the amount of material that moves from the source into the chamber depends on the position of the first one-way valve relative to the end of the tube and the amount by which the pressure in the chamber is increased depends on the distance between a start position for the piston in the tube and the end of the tube. 
         [0023]    The pump of the preferred embodiment includes a one way valve that is made up of a flexible diaphragm and a support on one side of the diaphragm. The flexible diaphragm is situated between spaces that may be at different pressures. The diaphragm has an opening which is closed when the diaphragm is flat and which opens increasingly as the diaphragm flexes in response to a difference between the pressures. The support permits the diaphragm to flex towards one of the spaces but not towards the other. 
     
    
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE SEVERAL VIEWS OF THE DRAWINGS 
         [0024]      FIG. 1  is a view of one embodiment of a wristband with a dispenser for materials; 
           [0025]      FIG. 2  is a set of detailed views of an embodiment of a dispenser that may be used in the wristband of  FIG. 1 ; 
           [0026]      FIG. 3  is a set of views of another embodiment of a dispenser that may be used with the wristband of  FIG. 1 ; 
           [0027]      FIG. 4  presents exploded and cross-sectional views of the dispenser of  FIG. 3 ; and 
           [0028]      FIG. 5  is a detailed view of a preferred embodiment of a one-way spit valve. 
       
    
    
       [0029]    Reference numbers in the drawing have three or more digits: the two right-hand digits are reference numbers in the drawing indicated by the remaining digits. Thus, an item with the reference number  203  first appears as item  203  in  FIG. 2 . 
       DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION 
     Overview of the Invention 
       [0030]      FIG. 1  provides an external view of a dispenser bracelet  101  that dispenses liquids or powders. Dispenser bracelet  101  includes a wrist band  103  so that it can be worn like a wrist watch. Mounted on wristband  103  is a dispenser  104  that contains a tank of the material (not shown), a pump  105 , and a piston  107 . Dispenser  104  is approximately the size of a large wristwatch. To activate the dispenser bracelet, the user presses piston  107  while wearing the bracelet. When the user does so, a small amount of the material being dispensed spurts from spit valve  109 . The user wears bracelet  101  on the bottom side of his or her wrist with the spit valve facing the palm of the user&#39;s hand. When the user presses the piston with a finger of his or her other hand, the material is deposited on the palm or fingers of the hand whose wrist bears dispenser bracelet  101 . The user can then spread the material as desired. Dispenser bracelet  101  can be either of a disposable or refillable type and can be a single compartment or a multiple compartment dispenser, storing different amounts and kinds of materials. Among the materials that can be dispensed using dispenser  101  are disinfectant hand cleaning liquids, suntan lotion, sun block, perfume, or insect repellant, to name just a few of the possibilities. 
         [0031]    Different embodiments of bracelet  101  can dispense a material in a continuous stream or pre-defined fixed amount. The bracelet dispenses the material in response to pressure on an activator (here piston  107 ) from the user&#39;s finger. The activator may also be a push-sensitive trigger or a rotating wheel trigger. In a particularly simple embodiment of the invention, the dispenser portion of the bracelet may be a reservoir which is made of flexible plastic and has a nozzle that opens only when the pressure inside the reservoir is higher than the pressure outside. In such an embodiment, the activator is the wall of the reservoir and the user activates the dispenser simply by pressing on or squeezing the wall of the reservoir. In some embodiments, the wristband may be flexible enough to permit the user to aim the material by changing the position of dispenser  104  relative to the wristband. In other embodiments, a connection may be provided between the band and the dispenser which permits the user to aim the material. For example, the connection may permit the user to rotate the dispenser on the band. 
       Details of Dispenser  104   
     FIRST EMBODIMENT 
     FIG.  2   
       [0032]      FIG. 2  is a detailed drawing  201  of a first embodiment of dispenser  104 . The main components of drawing  201  are views  203  of pump  105 , including a detailed top view  204 , a cutaway side view  216 , and a rear view  206 . Three-dimensional views of dispenser  104  are shown at  222 . In these views, corresponding elements have the same reference numbers. In the preferred embodiment, dispenser  101  is of the disposable type. The material being dispensed is contained in a gel bag  223  in a compartment  221  in pump  105 . In disposable embodiments of dispenser  101 , the gel bag is placed in compartment  221  when dispenser  101  is manufactured; in refillable embodiments, a user may purchase a gel bag of the material separately and place it in compartment  221 . In such an embodiment, access may be gained to compartment  221  by removing front cap  205 . 
         [0033]    Beginning with top view  204 , the preferred embodiment of pump  105  has a front cap  205 . Included in front cap  205  is a one-way spit valve  215 . One-way spit valve  215  allows a blob of material to leave pump  105 , but will not permit air to enter pump  105 . Pump housing  207  includes a tube  217  in which a piston  209  moves and guide rails  211  for piston  209 . A one-way air valve  213  permits air to enter tube  217  but not to leave tube  217 . Piston  209  moves forward in tube  217  when pressed by a user of dispenser  101 . It should be noted that portion  212  of piston  209  covers the opening of one-way air valve  213  during a portion of the travel of piston  209  in tube  217 . 
         [0034]    Continuing with side view  216 , piston  209  works against spring  210 . The user pushes piston  209  in against the spring and spring  210  pushes the piston back to its former position. Piston  209  works on both its back and forward strokes. On the back stroke, it sucks material from gel bag  223  and on the forward stroke, it forces the material out of pump  205  via nozzle  215 . Operation of the pump involves in addition to piston  209  and tube  217 , one way air valve  213 , one way spit valve  215 , one way valve  225 , and chambers  219  and  221 .
       chamber  221  contains gel bag  223  and is always at the ambient air pressure;   An end of tube  217  and chamber  219  are interconnected by opening  218 . Pressure in chamber  219  is determined by the motion of piston  209  in tube  217  and piston  209 &#39;s interaction with one-way air valve  213 .       
 
         [0037]    The operational cycle of pump  105  is as follows:
   1. The first stroke is a priming stroke. At the beginning of operation, piston  209  is in its back position in tube  217 , chamber  219  is at atmospheric pressure, and the level of the material being dispensed is below one way spit valve  215  in chamber  219 . When the user pushes piston  209  forward in tube  217 , the air pressure in chamber  219  rises and the pressure forces open one way spit valve  215 .   2. At the end of the forward stroke, spring  210  forces piston  209  back. There are two parts of the back stroke: a first part in which one way air valve  213  is covered by portion  212  of piston  209  and a second part in which one way air valve  213  is not covered by portion  212 .
       a) Because air valve  213  is covered during the first part of the back stroke, a vacuum develops in chamber  219 . In response to the vacuum, one-way spit valve  215  remains closed and the ambient air pressure of chamber  221  works on gel bag  223  to force the contents of the material out into chamber  219 . The dimensions of tube  217  and chamber  219  and the location of one-way air valve  213  in tube  217  are chosen such that the amount of material forced out fills most of chamber  219 .   b) During the second part, one way air valve  213  is uncovered, so that tube  217  fills with air at atmospheric pressure.   
       3. On the next forward stroke, one way air valve  213  prevents the air in chamber  217  from leaving the chamber, so the compressed air finds its way via opening  218  into chamber  219 , where it forces the material which was drawn into the chamber during the first part of the preceding back stroke out of one-way spit valve  215 . The amount of material forced out depends on the size of chamber  217 , the location of one way spit valve  215  in the chamber, and the length of the stroke of the piston after the one-way valve.   
 
         [0043]    On the next back stroke, chamber  219  will again fill with the material and tube  217  with air as just described, and the cycle will continue. 
         [0044]    One way valves  213  and  225  are standard items in the relevant technologies. The one-way spit valve  215  is an adaptation of the anti-drip valves used on catsup bottles. These anti-drip valves are silicon membranes which contain a slit that opens when the membrane bulges in response to a pressure difference on its two sides and closes again when the pressure difference ends. Because the anti-drip valve closes automatically, the catsup leaves the bottle in a burst, instead of dribbling out. For the same reason, when the material is forced out of chamber  219 , it comes out in a burst, instead of dribbling out. 
         [0045]    The problem with using an anti-drip valve like the ones on catsup bottles for spit valve  215  is that when the air pressure in the catsup bottle is less than the atmospheric pressure, the anti-drip valve also opens to permit air to enter the catsup bottle. While this is desirable in catsup bottles, one-way spit valve  215  must not open when there is a vacuum in chamber  219 . The one way action of valve  215  is achieved by means of support  220 , which prevents spit valve  221  from bulging and therefore opening to admit air when there is a vacuum in chamber  219  but does not completely block the contents of chamber  219  from reaching spit valve  215 . Thus, when the pressure in chamber  215  is higher than atmospheric pressure, air or material contained in chamber  219  can exit via one way spit valve  215 , but when there is a vacuum in chamber  219 , the one way spit valve remains sealed. 
       SECOND EMBODIMENT 
     FIGS.  3 - 5   
       [0046]      FIG. 3  shows various views of a second embodiment  301  of dispenser  104 . Dispenser  301  operates according to the same general principles as first embodiment  201 . At  303  is shown a side view, at  311  is shown a top view, and at  313  is shown an end view. Three-dimensional views from the front and rear are shown at  313 ; gel bag  317  containing the material to be dispensed has one-way valve  319 . Components of dispenser  301  that are of interest in the present context are housing  305 , front cap  309 , piston  307 , and nozzle  315 . In dispenser  301 , front cap  309  is removable, permitting replacement of gel bag  317 . 
         [0047]      FIG. 4  shows an exploded view  401  and a cross-sectional view  413  of dispenser  301 . Beginning at the left of exploded view  401  there are seen front cap  309  with a hole  402  for nozzle  315 , and nozzle  315 , which has two components: spit valve  403  with support  405  which prevents spit valve  403  from flexing to the right. Material chamber  407  is connected by a passage to the tube in which piston  307  moves and has a cavity which fills with material from gel bag  317  when piston  307  moves back. Then come gel bag  317  with one-way valve  319 , housing  305  with chamber  408  for gel bag  317  and hole  409  belonging to the passage connecting the tube with material chamber  407 , spring  411  for piston  307 , and finally the piston itself. 
         [0048]    Cross-sectional view  401  additionally shows cavity  419  in material chamber  407  and passage  421  which connects cavity  419  to hole  409 . Hole  409  is in turn connected to tube  415  in which piston  307  moves. One-way valve  423  connects tube  415  to chamber  408  for gel bag  317 . A passage  425  ensures that chamber  408  remains at atmospheric pressure. Dispenser  301  operates in exactly the same fashion as dispenser  201 . Advantages of dispenser  301  include the following:
       1. The location of one-way air valve  423  so that it opens onto cavity  408  reduces the overall height of dispenser  301  and protects air valve  423 ;   2. Material Chamber  419  has been designed to minimize the formation of pockets of air in the material that is drawn into chamber  419  from gel bag  317 . Such pockets keep the blast of air produced when the piston is moved towards the end of tube  415  from pushing out all of the material in chamber  419 . Maximizing the force of the air blast is particularly important with higher-viscosity materials.   3. The spit valve has been relocated so that it is in line with the nozzle  318  of the gel bag. The new location also prevents pockets of air from forming in the material in chamber  419 .       
 
       Details of One-Way Spit Valve  315 : FIG. 5 
       [0052]    One-way Spit valve  315  incorporates a silicon valve  403  of a type that is manufactured under the name SimpliSqueeze® by Seaquist Closures, 711 Fox St., Mukwonago, Wis. 53149. As shown at  403  in  FIG. 5 , valve  403  is a silicon diaphragm  502  with slits  501 . When a pressure difference between the sides of diaphragm  502  causes diaphragm  502  to bulge towards the side with lower pressure, the flaps defined by the slits  501  roll back and material can pass through the part of the diaphragm between the slits. Silicon valves like valve  403  are typically used in applications like catsup bottles. When the catsup bottle is squeezed, the valve bulges outward and opens, a blob of catsup comes out, the valve ceases to bulge out and closes, and then bulges in and opens again to admit air to the catsup bottle. Once the pressure on both sides of the valve is equal, the valve ceases bulging and closes. 
         [0053]    When silicon valve  403  is used in one-way spit valve  315 , it must bulge out and open when the pressure in chamber  419  is greater than the atmospheric pressure, but remain closed when the pressure in chamber  419  is less than atmospheric pressure. The valve will remain closed if it is not permitted to bulge in when the pressure in chamber  419  is less than atmospheric pressure. To prevent valve  403  from bulging in, a preferred embodiment employs support  405 . Support  405  has slots  505  to permit the material in chamber  419  to pass through support  405  when valve  403  is open and surface  503  that bears against diaphragm  402  and prevents valve  403  from bulging in and opening when chamber  419  is at less than atmospheric pressure. At  507  is shown a detailed cross section of front cap  309  with components  403  and  405  of one-way spit valve  315  installed in it. 
       CONCLUSION 
       [0054]    The foregoing Detailed Description has disclosed to those skilled in the relevant technologies how to make and use apparatus for dispensing material that includes a bracelet and a dispenser as well as a pump and a one-way valve employed in a preferred embodiment of the dispenser and has further disclosed the best mode known to the inventors of making and using the apparatus for dispensing material, the pump, and the one-way valve. It will, however, be immediately apparent to those skilled in the relevant technologies that apparatus for dispensing material, pumps, or one-way valves that operate according to the principles disclosed herein may be made that differ in many ways from the preferred embodiments disclosed herein. For example, the dispenser may use any available technique for transferring the material from the dispenser&#39;s reservoir to the user&#39;s palm when the user presses the activator, the material may be any material which can be usefully dispensed in that fashion, and the bracelet can be made in any fashion which suits the purpose. Pumps made according to the principles of the pump disclosed herein may be of any size and may have many different arrangements of their components relative to each other. Similarly, the diaphragm of the one-way valve disclosed herein may be made of any material which has the necessary properties as regards flexing and opening when it is flexed and the support may be implemented in any way which permits the diaphragm to flex in one direction and prevents the diaphragm from flexing in the other. For all of the foregoing reasons, the Detailed Description is to be regarded as being in all respects exemplary and not restrictive, and the breadth of the invention disclosed herein is to be determined not from the Detailed Description, but rather from the claims as interpreted with the full breadth permitted by the patent laws.