Abstract:
A carrier assembly facilitates the carrying (e.g. by a hiker) of a dispenser for materials such as insect repellents. There are two housings that couple together to form a sealed vault for storing the dispenser between uses. There is also a connector section of one housing in the form of a clip for mounting the housing structure on a backpack or belt loop. A sealing sleeve and a locking sleeve cooperate with the vault to achieve quick opening of the housing parts when desired, without compromising sealing between openings of the vault.

Description:
CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS 
       [0001]    Not applicable 
       STATEMENT REGARDING FEDERALLY SPONSORED RESEARCH/DEVELOPMENT 
       [0002]    Not applicable 
       BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
       [0003]    The present invention relates to assemblies for carrying portable dispensers (e.g. aerosol spray cans containing mosquito repellent). 
         [0004]    Portable dispensers have been used to deliver a variety of chemicals to human skin and other surfaces to be treated. Among these chemicals are pest control materials (e.g. insect repellants such as DEET), perfumes, deodorants, and skin protectors (e.g. sunscreen). Many of these dispensers are typically stored in a home, and then applied in the home shortly before one goes outdoors (with the dispenser then being left in the home). However, during some outdoor activities (e.g. hiking, camping, sailing) it is sometimes desirable to apply/reapply certain of these chemicals. 
         [0005]    Carrying conventional dispensers outdoors can sometimes be problematic. For example, protecting the dispensers from environmental water can require undesirably bulky/heavy structures, and/or structures that make it difficult to obtain access to the dispenser once stored. Further, protecting items in backpacks from leakage from these dispensers is a concern if the dispensers are placed in the backpacks. In any event, some of these dispensers are quite bulky. 
         [0006]    U.S. Pat. No. 5,348,193 disclosed a system for carrying an aerosol can using a clip-on system. However, the means of installing and accessing the aerosol can was awkward. 
         [0007]    U.S. Pat. No. 7,178,696 disclosed another portable clip-on sprayer system. However, in this type of system the spray was delivered through an upper mounting clip. The clip could become coated with active from use. 
         [0008]    Further complicating matters, it is preferred that the useful life of a carrying system for such containers not be limited to the useful life of the container (to avoid the waste and cost involved if the carrying system also needs to be replaced with each empty container). 
         [0009]    Hence, improvements are needed with respect to carriers for such portable dispensers. 
       BRIEF SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
       [0010]    In one aspect the invention provides an assembly for removably carrying a dispenser. The assembly has an upper housing having an internal cavity, a connector section and a downwardly depending skirt. There is also a lower housing that has an internal cavity and a groove adjacent the lower housing&#39;s upper end, the lower housing&#39;s internal cavity being suitable to receive and carry a dispenser (such as an aerosol spray can) when the dispenser is inserted therein. 
         [0011]    The assembly also has a sealing sleeve positionable partially inside the skirt with a lower sealing ring portion thereof extending outwardly there from, and a locking sleeve positioned in the upper housing&#39;s internal cavity, but with a lower foot thereof being radially inwardly movable in response to pressing force being applied to the assembly. 
         [0012]    If the lower foot is positioned in, and thereby coupled to, the lower housing&#39;s groove, the lower housing is thereby held together with the upper housing. If thereafter the pressing force is applied the foot is decoupled from the groove, thereby permitting the lower housing to be decoupled from the upper housing, and thereby permitting access to the lower housing&#39;s internal cavity. 
         [0013]    The connector section of the upper housing is preferably a clip. A particularly desirable form of clip is a carabineer type spring clip as this enables a very quick, secure attachment to a backpack or belt loop. 
         [0014]    The assembly permits such a container to be stored inside the internal cavities of the housings in a manner such that it is protected from outside water (e.g. rain water, bilge water in a boat, lake water). The assembly also protects the belongings of the person carrying the container from any undesired contact between chemicals in the container and sensitive items also being carried (as the sealed vault that is formed by the housings and sealing sleeve also precludes any leakage from the container reaching whatever is near the area where the lower housing is hung). 
         [0015]    The upper housing preferably clips onto a belt loop or backpack loop that is being carried by the consumer. When a refreshed application of the chemical is desired (e.g. more sunscreen is to be applied after a prolonged hike), the consumer can (with this preferred embodiment) squeeze the upper assembly. 
         [0016]    The locking sleeve and sealing sleeve may have corresponding alignment tabs (e.g. contoured triangular tabs) to properly align those two parts with respect to each other, and (given apertures along the sides of the upper housing that are aligned with those tabs as well) also to indicate to a consumer where to squeeze. 
         [0017]    The locking sleeve preferably has two axial slots that are spaced from each other to form a flexible leg, the foot forming a lower portion of the leg. Squeezing the upper assembly deflects the foot (and leg) inwardly, thereby permitting the lower housing (preferably in the form of a cylindrical cup) to be decoupled from the upper housing while the upper housing remains attached to the backpack or other clothing item. There may be two such legs and feet, at opposed portions of the skirt. 
         [0018]    The invention can alternatively provide an assembly for removably carrying a dispenser. This assembly has an upper housing having an internal cavity, a connector section and a downwardly depending skirt; a lower housing that has an internal cavity suitable to receive and carry the dispenser if the dispenser is inserted therein; a sealing sleeve positioned partially inside the skirt with a lower sealing ring portion thereof extending outward there from; and a locking sleeve positioned in the upper housing&#39;s internal cavity. The locking sleeve and lower housing can be coupled together thereby also coupling the lower housing to the upper housing (and thereafter easily decoupled if access to the dispenser is desired). 
         [0019]    Various embodiments of the present invention may have one or more advantages. For example, the assembly may permit insect sprays, sunscreens and other chemicals that are to be applied outdoors to have their dispensers conveniently carried in a hands free manner (e.g. by a hiker). These dispensers can be accessed quite easily, and then restored after application (without the hiker, jogger or the like needing to interrupt their main activity). The dispenser is protected during storage from environmental water, and the consumer&#39;s belongings are protected from leakage between uses. 
         [0020]    When a particular spray can or other dispenser is used up, the consumer can dispose of the container and replace it with a refill. However, the remainder of the carrier assembly can be reused many times, with many refill canisters. This lowers the overall cost of using the system (as the main carrier assembly parts need not be purchased again with each refill can). 
         [0021]    Moreover, the parts of the carrier assembly are inexpensive to produce and intuitive to assemble and use. Further, they can easily be made of materials that are well suited for outdoor use. 
         [0022]    The foregoing and other advantages of the present invention will be apparent from the following description of the preferred embodiments. As these embodiments are merely illustrative, they are not intended to represent the full scope of the invention. Thus, reference should therefore be made to the claims herein for interpreting the scope of the invention. 
     
    
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
         [0023]      FIG. 1  is a perspective view of a carrier assembly of the present invention, shown adjacent a refill spray can; 
           [0024]      FIG. 2A  depicts that carrier assembly, albeit shown hung from a backpack and in the process of having its lower housing disconnected from its upper housing; 
           [0025]      FIG. 2B  shows how the lower housing of  FIG. 2A  can be used to store a spray can between uses; 
           [0026]      FIG. 2C  depicts how the spray can of  FIG. 2B  can be used to spray repellent on a human arm while the upper mounting structure remains attached to the backpack; 
           [0027]      FIG. 3  is an exploded (and partially disassembled) view of the  FIG. 1  carrier assembly (without spray can); 
           [0028]      FIG. 3A  depicts a second embodiment that is similar to the first, except that the openings  15 A are now at twelve o&#39;clock and six o&#39;clock positions rather than three o&#39;clock and nine o′clock positions, and the spring clip specifics  18 A/ 20 A/ 22 A are slightly altered; 
           [0029]      FIG. 3B  is a third embodiment where the spring latch part  18 B is now an integrated plastic element; 
           [0030]      FIG. 4  is a lower perspective view of the upper housing of the  FIG. 1  assembly; 
           [0031]      FIG. 5  is an upper perspective view of a subassembly of the sealing sleeve and locking sleeve of the present invention; and 
           [0032]      FIG. 6  depicts a top perspective view of the lower housing&#39;s upper portion. 
       
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS 
       [0033]    In a first preferred embodiment, carrier assembly  10  is shown adjacent a refill container  11 . Container  11  may deliver a mosquito repellent formulation such as a somewhat concentrated DEET formulation (e.g. 30 percent DEET). It can instead deliver other materials such as insecticide, or skin treatment materials such as sunscreen, perfume, a deodorant, or a sanitizer. As an example, the container could be filled with an insecticide to be sprayed around a tent entry flap when the tent is erected. 
         [0034]    As best illustrated in  FIGS. 2A-2C , carrier assembly  10  can be clipped onto a loop of an item carried by a human (e.g. loop  9  of backpack  12 , a belt loop, lanyard, or other clothing structure having a loop). 
         [0035]    Upper housing  13  of the carrier assembly has a lower skirt  14  and an upper connector structure  16 . Near the bottom of the skirt  14  is an aperture  15 . In a preferred form there may be one such aperture  15  on each of two opposed sides of the skirt. 
         [0036]    The clip has a latch part  18  that pivots on rivet  20 , from the  FIG. 1  closed position to an open position. The open position allows the clip structure to attach the carrier assembly to the backpack loop  9 . Note that there is a spring  22  and a spring tab  24  which together serve to bias the latch part  18  to the closed position. Thus, a finger can push the latch part  18  open, the freed end  19  of the clip can be hooked through the backpack or other loop, and the latch can then automatically spring back to the  FIG. 1  position once finger pressure is released. This type of clip is known as a “carabineer” type clip. 
         [0037]    Positionable mostly within internal cavity  17  of skirt  14  is a latching sleeve  30  made of spring steel. At least one region  32  (preferably two opposed regions  32 ) of that sleeve readily flex inwardly in response to radial force. There is also a sealing sleeve  34  (made of gasket material) that generally fits outside latching sleeve  30  (see  FIG. 5 ), albeit mostly inside skirt  14 , with at least one region  36  (preferably two opposed regions  36 ) aligned with regions  32 . Regions  32  and  36  are all contoured triangular and form alignment tabs, and these in turn align with apertures  15  so that regions  36  project there through. 
         [0038]    When the parts are assembled, one can squeeze region(s)  36  (through apertures  15 ) so that they also deflect region(s)  32 . The effect on region(s)  32  is enhanced because of axial slots  38 . This squeezing decouples foot  40  on at least one leg  39  from an attachment groove  42  formed along an inside wall of cup-shaped lower housing  50 , and thereby permits the lower housing  50  to be separated from the upper housing. When the sealing sleeve  34  is positioned as in  FIG. 1 , bead  52  sits in groove  55  of the latching sleeve  30 , and also seals between a bottom edge of the upper housing  13  and a top edge of the lower housing  50 , thereby creating a sealed “vault” for the container  11 . 
         [0039]    The overall assembly therefore provides a quick release connection. The lower housing  50  can be quickly detached from the upper mounting structure (see especially  FIG. 2C ). The spray can may then be accessed as indicated by  FIG. 2B  and used as indicated in  FIG. 2C . When the spray can is used up, it can be thrown away. A refill container  11  can then be used in its place. 
         [0040]    In one possible intended use a hiker may clip the assembly  10  onto a backpack  12  at a loop  9 . When the hiker wishes to refresh insect protection (e.g. after a few hours of a hike), the hiker squeezes the assembly while pulling lower housing  50  down (see  FIG. 2A ). This disconnects the lower housing/aerosol can. 
         [0041]    As shown in  FIG. 2B , the can may then be removed from the lower housing  50 , and the aerosol chemical may then be sprayed as shown in  FIG. 2C . If the can then still has active left, the can may then be re-inserted into the lower housing  50 , with the lower housing then being re-connected to the upper housing by pushing foot/feet  40  into groove  42 . Alternatively, as shown in  FIG. 1 , the can  11  can be sized relative to the lower housing  50  so that even when in the lower housing the upper nozzle will project out of the lower housing. Thus, the spray may be applied in this embodiment even without removing the can from the lower housing (with the can only being removed when being replaced with another refill). 
         [0042]    While the above describes preferred embodiments, it should be appreciated that other embodiments are also within the scope of the invention. For example, the active container may be a pump sprayer or squeeze tube rather than an aerosol can, and the mounting connector may be another type of connector besides a clip, or even still other types of carabineer clips besides the three shown. 
         [0043]    As another modification, there could be a foam sleeve positioned within the internal cavity  51  of lower housing  50 . This would reduce rattling noise if a metal aerosol canister is positioned in the cup-shaped lower housing  50  and the human is highly active (e.g. if the assembly is used by a jogger). 
         [0044]    As yet another modification, the lower housing may have the flexible projection, and the latching sleeve may have the receiving groove. This and other recess and projection constructions are intended. 
         [0045]    Moreover, the latching sleeve may connect to the lower housing via other attachment techniques. For example, there could be a threaded connection or a quarter turn bayonet connection. 
         [0046]    Regardless, the invention is not to be limited to just the specific embodiments shown or described, and the following claims should therefore be looked to in order to judge the full scope of the invention. 
       INDUSTRIAL APPLICABILITY 
       [0047]    There are disclosed assemblies for facilitating the carrying of dispensers outdoors, while allowing the dispenser to be readily accessed when needed, but stored in a sealed vault between uses. 
         [0048]    All documents cited in this patent are, in relevant part, incorporated herein by reference. The citation of any document is not to be construed as an admission that it is prior art with respect to the present invention.