Patent Publication Number: US-2011062252-A1

Title: Non-reusable disposable spray container

Description:
CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS 
     Not Applicable. 
     STATEMENT REGARDING FEDERALLY SPONSORED RESEARCH OR DEVELOPMENT 
     Not Applicable. 
     INCORPORATION BY REFERENCE OF MATERIAL SUBMITTED ON A COMPACT DISC 
     Not Applicable. 
     FIELD OF THE INVENTION 
     This invention relates to disposable containers, and more particularly to disposable containers that cannot be reused. 
     BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
     Spray containers have been available commercially for many years. Spray bottles, for example, are used to dispense a variety of liquid products ranging from hair products to culinary accoutrements. Further, various incarnations of the spray bottle exists. Early forms of the spray bottle included a bottle filled with a liquid product as well as a high pressure gas such that the liquid product was expelled when a spray button was depressed. Another form of a spray bottle eliminates the use of pressurized gas but rather utilizes the pressure created when the spray button is pressed by the user to expel the liquid product inside the bottle. Yet another type of spray bottle includes a pump mechanism that allows a user to pump a shaft to increase the pressure inside the bottle, thereby creating the pressure needed to expel the liquid product when the spray button is pressed. 
     One problem with spray bottles, and other types of containers for disposable products, is that consumers tend to reuse the container. For example, a consumer may enjoy a disposable spray bottle enough to refill the spray bottle with the liquid product, or a lower cost alternative, thereby reusing the container. This is disadvantageous because refilled containers, depending upon the liquid filled, tend to clog the nozzle of the spray button, causing consumers to lose confidence in the container. This is also disadvantageous for the manufacturer because a loss of consumer confidence tends to disparage the container&#39;s capabilities through no fault of its own. A further disadvantage for the manufacturer of the disposable spray bottle and/or the manufacturer of the liquid product when a consumer tries to refill it is that it discourages the consumer from buying additional units of the disposable product. That is, after the first sale of the disposable product to the consumer, the consumer may reuse the disposable container and thereby refrain from buying additional units of the disposable product at a later date. 
     One of the sources of the above problem is the method in which the spray bottle or other container is manufactured or assembled. Typically, the spray bottle or container consists of a bottle or container with a neck portion having an exterior threaded area. The spray and/or pump mechanism includes an interior threaded area that simply screws onto the neck portion of the bottle or container. Such an embodiment makes it very easy for a consumer to unscrew the spray and/or pump mechanism to refill the bottle or container for reuse. 
     Therefore, there is a need to traverse the deficiencies in the art and more particularly there is a need for a disposable spray container with pump and spray features that encourage consumers to buy additional products after the first sale. 
     SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
     Briefly, in accordance with one embodiment of the present invention, a disposable spray assembly is disclosed. The disposable spray assembly includes a container for holding a liquid, the container having a neck portion, a ring coupled to an exterior surface of the neck portion, the ring having an increasing outer diameter in a downwards direction, a spray mechanism for expelling the liquid, the spray mechanism coupled with the neck portion and having a hilt that rests upon a top of the neck portion and a collar element for placement around the neck portion under the ring, wherein an inner diameter of the collar element is equal to or larger than an exterior diameter of a top portion of the ring but smaller than an exterior diameter of a bottom portion of the ring such that upon placement of the inner diameter of the collar element around the neck portion underneath the ring, the collar element cannot be removed from the neck portion. 
     In another embodiment of the present invention, an alternative disposable spray assembly is disclosed. The disposable spray assembly includes a container for holding a liquid, the container having a neck portion, a ring coupled to an exterior surface of the neck portion, the ring having an increasing outer diameter in a downwards direction, a spray mechanism for expelling the liquid, the spray mechanism coupled with the neck portion and having a hilt that rests upon a top of the neck portion and a collar element for placement around the neck portion under the ring, the collar element including a gutter disposed along an inner diameter of the collar element, wherein the gutter is shaped so as to accommodate a shape of the ring, such that upon placement of the collar element around the neck portion, the collar element cannot be removed from the neck portion. 
     The foregoing and other features and advantages of the present invention will be apparent from the following more particular description of the preferred embodiments of the invention, as illustrated in the accompanying drawings. 
    
    
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
       The subject matter, which is regarded as the invention, is particularly pointed out and distinctly claimed in the claims at the conclusion of the specification. The foregoing and other features and also the advantages of the invention will be apparent from the following detailed description taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings. Additionally, the left-most digit of a reference number identifies the drawing in which the reference number first appears. 
         FIG. 1  shows an exploded view depicting the various components of a disposable spray product including a container for holding a liquid product, according to one embodiment of the present invention. 
         FIG. 2  shows a cross section of the disposable spray product in an assembled state, according to one embodiment of the present invention 
     
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION 
     It should be understood that these embodiments are only examples of the many advantageous uses of the innovative teachings herein. In general, statements made in the specification of the present application do not necessarily limit any of the various claimed inventions. Moreover, some statements may apply to some inventive features but not to others. In general, unless otherwise indicated, singular elements may be in the plural and vice versa with no loss of generality. In the drawing, like numerals refer to like parts through several views. 
     The present invention, according to a preferred embodiment, overcomes problems with the prior art by providing a disposable spray container with pump and spray features while restricting the ability to refill the spray container with the liquid product after it has been dispensed. These features discourage the reuse of the spray container and thereby encourage the consumer to purchase additional units of the disposable spray container after the contents of the already purchased unit have been exhausted. 
       FIG. 1  shows an exploded view depicting the various components of a disposable spray product  100  including a container  102  for holding a liquid product, such as a hair product, a culinary accouterment or a cleaning agent. The container  102  may include a neck portion  106  located at the top of the container  102  and including an opening  108  that allows access to an interior volume of the container  102 . 
     The neck portion  106  includes a ring  110  coupled to and surrounding an exterior surface of the neck portion  106 . The ring  110  includes an increasing outer diameter in a downwards direction. Thus, the cross section of the ring  110  shows that the ring  110  widens as the ring  110  extends downwards towards the bottom of the container  102 , reflecting a pointed shape. The ring  110  may be integrally formed with the neck portion  106 , or the ring  110  may be a separate element that is coupled with the neck portion  106  via an adhesive or another technique. 
       FIG. 1  further shows a pump and spray mechanism  120  for increasing pressure within the container  102  and spraying out the liquid product. The pump mechanism  120  includes a hilt  122  that rests upon a top of the neck portion  106 . Note that hilt  122  includes an outer diameter that is substantially commensurate with the outer diameter of the neck portion  106 . Preferably, the hilt  122  includes an outer diameter that is greater than or equal to the outer diameter of the opening  108  of the neck portion  106  such that the hilt  122  rests upon the top of the neck portion  106  and keeps the pump and spray mechanism  120  from falling inside the container  102 .  FIG. 1  also shows a washer  123  that rests between the hilt  122  and the top of the neck portion  106 . Note that washer  123  includes an outer diameter that is substantially commensurate with the outer diameter of the hilt  122 . Preferably, the washer  123  includes an outer diameter that is greater than or equal to the outer diameter of the hilt  122  while being greater than the diameter of the opening  108  of the neck portion  106  such that the washer  123  rests between the top of the neck portion  106  and the hilt  122  so as to provide a water tight seal between the pump and spray mechanism  120  and the container  102 . 
     The pump and spray mechanism  120  may include a pump comprising a shaft  121  that is manually pumped in a vertical direction to increase pressure within the container  102 . The pump and spray mechanism  120  may also include a spray button  126  that when pressed releases the liquid product within the container  102  in a spray mist. 
       FIGS. 1 and 2  also show a collar element  130  for placement around the neck portion  106  and around the ring  110 . An inner diameter  132  of the collar element  130  is equal to or larger than an exterior diameter  142  of a top portion of the ring  110  but smaller than an exterior diameter  144  of a bottom portion of the ring  110  such that once snapped in place on the neck portion  106  around the ring  110 , the collar element  130  cannot be removed from the neck portion  106 . 
     The collar element  130  also shows a gutter  150  disposed along an inner diameter of the collar element  130 , wherein the gutter  150  is shaped so as to accommodate a shape of the ring  110 , thereby securing the ring  110  within the collar element  130  when the collar element  130  is placed around the neck portion  106 . 
     The collar element  130  may also include a second inner diameter  152  on a top portion of the collar element  130 . The second inner diameter  152  rests upon a top of the hilt  122 , wherein the second inner diameter  152  is smaller than an outer diameter of the hilt  122  so as to secure the pump and spray mechanism  120  to the neck portion  106  when the collar element  130  is placed around the neck portion  106 . 
     One or more of the components of the disposable spray product  100  can be manufactured from a flexible or elastic material such as plastic. An elastic material is defined as a material that can be deformed or bent out of shape when subject to an exterior force but returns to its original shape or length when the exterior force is removed. In this way, collar element  130  and/or ring  110  can be manufactured from a flexible or elastic material, thereby allowing the collar element  130  to fit over the ring  110  to eventually rest around the ring  110 , when the collar element  130  is placed over the ring  110  and pressure is applied by a person or a machine in a downwards direction. In this scenario, the inner diameter  132  of the collar element may be substantially commensurate with or slightly smaller than the exterior diameter  144  of the bottom portion of the ring  110  such that one or both of the elements (the collar element  130  and ring  110 ) slightly and temporarily deforms out of shape/diameter to allow the collar element  130  to fit over the ring  110  when the collar element  130  is pushed or pressed into place over the ring  110 . Consequently, once the collar element  130  is pushed in place around the ring  110 , one or both of the elements (the collar element  130  and ring  110 ) returns to its original shape/diameter. 
     Once the collar element  130  rests around the ring  110 , and one or both elements returns to its original shape/diameter, then the collar element  130  is secure on the neck portion  106  and cannot be removed without damaging, cutting or splitting one or more of the elements of the disposable spray product  100 . As such, once the liquid product inside container  102  is expended, the consumer cannot easily refill and reuse the disposable spray product  100  and the consumer is encouraged to purchase additional units of the disposable spray product  100 . 
     Although specific embodiments of the invention have been disclosed, those having ordinary skill in the art will understand that changes can be made to the specific embodiments without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention. The scope of the invention is not to be restricted, therefore, to the specific embodiments. Furthermore, it is intended that the appended claims cover any and all such applications, modifications, and embodiments within the scope of the present invention.