Patent Publication Number: US-6334449-B1

Title: Fluid delivery system

Description:
The present invention relates generally to delivery systems and more especially but not exclusively to delivery systems for use in applying hair and/or scalp compositions to the hair and/or scalp in a time-efficient, controlled and mess-free manner. 
     In a hair colouring treatment, it would be desirable to be able to control flow of a colouring fluid accurately and to be able to target the areas to be coloured by the colouring fluid precisely. 
     It would also be desirable to be able to minimise mess during application and manipulation, and to be able to achieve an even colour distribution throughout the areas to be coloured by the colouring fluid. 
     It is believed that these objectives would be more readily achievable if the delivery system was such as to enable the colouring fluid to be delivered at any orientation at any time during the hair colouring treatment. 
     U.S. Pat. No. 4,209,027 discloses a hair treatment device utilising two materials which need to be mixed just prior to use. One of the materials is held in an inner container which is placed bodily within an outer container holding the other material. To mix the two materials, the inner container is ruptured and then manipulated to discharge the first material into the second material. The outer container can itself then be placed bodily in a squeeze bottle having a flapper valve to control entry of air into the squeeze bottle. This arrangement allows the mixture of the first and second materials in the outer container to be completely emptied. However, this arrangement does not allow the mixture of the first and second materials to be delivered at any orientation while the outer container is being emptied. 
     JP(UM)-A-7-22951 discloses a bag-in-bottle container, which is capable of all orientation delivery of a hairdressing liquid through a spout or a comb attached to the spout, but the hairdressing liquid is not formed in situ. 
     According to the present invention, however, a delivery system comprises: 
     (a) a first container in which a first material is to be held; 
     (b) a second container in which a second material is to be held, the second container being capable of being put into fluid communication with the first container to enable the second material to be added to the first material to form a flowable composition in the first container; and 
     (c) user-actuable means for mechanically generating a pressure differential to allow all of the flowable composition which is discharged to be discharged from the first container at any orientation. 
     It will be appreciated that the present invention enables a two component hair colorant to be mixed in situ and then delivered at any orientation at any time during the hair colouring treatment. 
     Preferably, the first container is made at least in part of a transparent and/or resiliently deformable plastics material. 
     The first container may include a reservoir and an orifice in fluid communication with the reservoir, the orifice acting initially as an inlet for the second material and acting subsequently as an outlet for the flowable composition so that, in effect, the second material is added to the first material by decanting. 
     Preferably, the reservoir comprises an inner collapsible layer distinct from an outer deformable layer of the first container. It would be possible for the inner collapsible layer to peel away progressively from the outer deformable layer by delamination. Preferably, however, the inner collapsible layer comprises a flexible bag. 
     The orifice may extend through an insert which fits into a neck of the container—the insert may have an annular channel surrounding a tubular member defining the orifice, the annular channel being in air communication with a buffer zone between the inner collapsible layer and the outer deformable layer. 
     If the tubular member extends beyond the neck of the first container into the reservoir of the first container, the part of the tubular member within the reservoir may be in the form of a support tube which is secured to the insert and is open in cross-section providing an at least partially rigid channel through which the flowable composition can pass while the flexible bag collapses. 
     To restrain the flexible bag, during the mixing of the first and second materials, preferably by shaking, the support tube may be of sufficient length such that a free end of the support tube remote from the insert is close to but not in contact with a free end of the flexible bag remote from the neck of the first container. 
     The insert may be an interference fit with the neck of the first container and a removable cap may sealingly close the orifice in the insert until such time as the second container is to be put into fluid communication with the first container. 
     Preferably, an applicator is secured to the first container, to facilitate the discharge of the flowable composition from the first container, the applicator including a valve member of unitary construction operable to control both entry of air into the first container to a position outside the inner collapsible layer and exit of flowable composition from the first container from a position inside the first collapsible layer. 
     An outlet part of the valve member may comprise a quadrolobe valve, an inlet part of the valve member may comprise a flapper valve, and the flapper valve may be of annular shape surrounding the quadrolobe valve. 
     If the applicator is a spout having a single elongate passageway through which the flowable composition is to be dispensed, the quadrolobe valve may be a push fit in the elongate passageway in the spout, and the spout may itself be a direct or indirect (via the insert) push fit in the first container. 
     Preferably, an applicator of foam or sponge material is also provided, having a resiliently compressible porous structure from which the flowable composition is to be delivered, and may be in the form of a pad at or near one end of a carrier which is a detachable push fit on the spout. 
     To facilitate the targeting of specific areas, the pad may extend only partly around the circumference of the carrier. 
     Preferably, an applicator is provided having a plurality of elongate parting members projecting from a support, to which the flowable composition is to be delivered through a housing, and the housing may be locatable over the spout and be detachably securable to the first container. 
     The housing may have a guide tube which receives a free end of the spout when the housing is located over the spout. 
     It is possible for the elongate parting members to be flexible filaments, as in a brush-like construction, but it is preferred for each of the elongate parting members to be in the form of a substantially rigid tooth, giving a comb-like construction. 
     For ease of manufacture, particularly when moulding in a plastics material, the teeth may be arranged in at least one row. The teeth may but need not necessarily have generally triangular outlines of different transverse dimensions when viewed from an end of the at least one row. For ease of subsequent dispersal, the flowable composition may be delivered from the teeth, with a free end of each of the teeth having at least one outlet. 
     The elongate parting members and the support may be removably detachable from the housing. This allows the provision of a plurality of the supports, from which one is to be selected by a user, the elongate parting members of different supports being of different type. For example, a comb-like support with substantially rigid teeth may be replaced by a brush-like support with flexible filaments. 
     The elongate parting members and the support may be formed as a unit which is securable to the housing by securing means including a catch. The catch may be resiliently deflectable and engageable with an aperture extending through the housing such that the catch is releasable remotely from the elongate parting members. There may be a further catch operable as a pivot. The resiliently deflectable catch should be releasable by finger pressure—it may, however, be possible for the elongate parting members and the support to be removed from the housing merely by rolling the housing over a hard surface, thereby releasing the resiliently deflectable catch. 
     For ease and strength of assembly, the housing may be a removable screw fit with the first container, both the housing and the first container being formed with lug means which snap passed one another when the housing has been fully screwed onto the first container, at a predetermined alignment. 
     It will be appreciated that the flowable composition is preferably intended for application to the hair or scalp of a user, with the first and second materials being separate components of a hair colouring composition. It will further be appreciated that there may be a plurality of the second containers from which one is to be selected by a user, with each of the second containers containing a different shade of hair colorant. 
    
    
     A delivery system, according to the present invention, will now be described in greater detail, by way of example only, with reference to the accompanying drawings, wherein: 
     FIG. 1 is an exploded perspective view of a cap, a bottle, a flexible bag, a support tube, an insert, a valve, a spout, a sponge pad, a comb housing and a comb—all being components in a hair colouring kit embodying the present invention; 
     FIG. 2 is a fragmentary enlarged cross-sectional view showing the cap when secured to the bottle; 
     FIG. 3 is a plan view of the insert; 
     FIG. 4 is a schematic cross-sectional view, taken perpendicularly to the cross-sectional view of FIG. 2, showing a dye container when docked with the insert to allow dye in the dye container to be added to the flexible bag; 
     FIG. 5 is a perspective view showing the spout when secured to the bottle; 
     FIG. 6 is a fragmentary enlarged cross-sectional view of FIG. 5; 
     FIG. 7 is a perspective view similar to FIG. 5 but showing the sponge pad when secured to the spout; 
     FIG. 8 is a cross-sectional view of FIG. 7; 
     FIG. 9 is a perspective view showing the comb housing when secured to the bottle with the comb secured to the comb housing; 
     FIG. 10 is a cross-sectional view of FIG. 9; and 
     FIGS. 11 and 12 are, respectively, cross-sectional views of the comb and the comb housing before being secured together. 
    
    
     The accompanying drawings illustrate a hair colouring kit embodying all aspects of the present invention—the different inventive aspects, for which protection is being sought in the present and several contemporaneous patent applications, relate to a delivery system as well as to various applicators and applicator systems for use in delivering a flowable composition. 
     Although the flowable composition is preferably a hair colouring composition, no aspect of the present invention is restricted to such a specific flowable composition. Other examples of flowable compositions are: medicaments e.g. for petcare; foodstuffs e.g. cake mixes; cleaning fluids e.g. for garmentcare or carpetcare; cosmetics e.g. body lotions or moisturisers; adhesives or lubricants. 
     Use of a hair colouring composition can be problematical. 
     One problem is that the hair colouring composition may need to be prepared from two or more component materials just prior to use. This means that the component materials need to be stored separately in a manner allowing a user to mix the component materials when required. Typically, one of the component materials is hydrogen peroxide and another of the component materials is a dye. The user must not, however, be exposed to any danger or any risk of staining when adding the dye to the hydrogen peroxide. 
     Another problem is that the hair colouring composition may need to be applied to the hair through an applicator at any angle. If the applicator is fed from a simple squeeze bottle, the applicator will be ready for use in any orientation when the squeeze bottle is full. However, as the squeeze bottle is progressively emptied, it is found that the applicator is not ready for immediate use in any orientation, but may first need to be primed to offset the effect of any suckback of the hair colouring composition. This makes it difficult to control the application of the hair colouring composition, particularly to the hairline whilst avoiding staining of the skin. 
     The present hair colouring kit not only allows the hair colouring composition to be prepared just prior to use, but has applicators fed by a user-controlled delivery system in which the hair colouring composition is discharged by a mechanically generated pressure differential (not an aerosol) in such a way that the hair colouring composition is always ready to be discharged at any orientation of the delivery system. 
     All orientation delivery is possible for all of the hair colouring composition which is discharged—which can be over 90% or even 95% of the hair colouring composition which has been prepared. 
     The present hair colouring kit also allows the hair colouring composition to be delivered in user-regulated amounts through applicators to specific areas to achieve an even colour distribution with minimal mess. 
     No one applicator is equally suitable, even if carefully manipulated, for applying hair colouring composition to the roots, the hairline and the main body of a head of hair. It is therefore usual to provide applicators of different types selected from a line applicator, a surface applicator and a brush/comb-like applicator. The line applicator can be a spout with a single outlet and the surface applicator can be of porous material with a plurality of outlets. The brush/comb-like applicator can have a plurality of outlets for dispensing hair colouring composition which is then dispersed by a plurality of elongate parting members. As might be expected, the elongate parting members might resemble the bristles of a brush or the teeth of a comb. All of the different applicator types are to be brought into fluid communication with a container for the hair colouring composition. 
     Specific advantages of the present hair colouring kit are that: 
     (a) only a selected one of three applicators of different type is exposed during use so that there is no risk during manipulation of the hair of mess being caused by any hair colouring composition left in or on the other applicators; 
     (b) a surface applicator from three applicators of different type is of foam or sponge material having a resiliently compressible porous structure to provide improved spreading of the hair colouring composition; and 
     (c) a brush/comb-like applicator from three applicators of different type has at least two of its outlets formed in respective ones of its elongate parting members to provide improved dispersal of the hair colouring composition. 
     Other specific advantages of the present hair colouring kit are that a one-piece valve simultaneously performs the dual functions of controlling entry of air and exit of hair colouring composition, a support for elongate parting members is secured to a housing by at least one catch which is releasable from a position remote from the hair colouring composition and, with a line applicator attached to a container, a brush/comb-like applicator is locatable over the line applicator yet is still attachable directly to the container. 
     Before describing a surface applicator with reference to FIGS. 7 and 8, and a brush/comb-like applicator with reference to FIGS. 9 to  12 , a delivery system incorporating a line applicator will be described with reference to FIGS. 1 to  6 . 
     A bottle  10  may be formed with a hollow body  12  which is of generally oval section and is closed at a lower end but has an open neck  14  at an upper end. The neck may be formed with an external thread  16 . The neck  14  may also be formed with a pair of opposed lug means  18  of which only one is shown in FIG.  1 . Each of the lug means  18  preferably includes a gap  20  approached by a ramp  22  for a purpose to be described hereinafter. 
     At least the body  12  may be formed of a resiliently deformable plastics material such that the bottle  10  can quickly reform in shape when released from having been squeezed. The plastics material may be low density polyethylene, linear low density polyethylene (LLDPE) or polypropylene and may be transparent. If not transparent, the plastics material is preferably translucent and may or may not be coloured. 
     A flexible bag  24  may be formed of two overlapping sheets  26  of the same shape which are sealed together around most of their common periphery to form a side sealed sachet having an upper opening  28  and a lower V-shaped edge  30 . The bag  24  defines a reservoir for a first material, such as hydrogen peroxide, and should therefore provide a good moisture barrier. Each of the sheets  26  may be of laminated metallised material, and preferably includes the following three layers: LLDPE sealant/adhesive/metallised PET (polyethylterphalate). 
     The bag  24  is insertable into the bottle  10  through the neck  14  to form a container with an outer deformable layer (body  12 ) and an inner collapsible layer (sheets  26 ) separated from one another by a buffer zone  32 , as shown in FIG.  4 . 
     As also shown in FIG. 4, a support tube  34  may be insertable into the bag  24  through the opening  28 . The tube  34  may have a plurality of holes  36  along its length and provide an at least partially rigid channel which is open in cross-section. A lower end  38  of the tube  34  may be open or closed. The lower end  38  of the tube  34  can be in contact with the bag  24 —alternatively, the lower end  38  of the tube  34  may be close to but not in contact with the V-shaped edge  30  of the bag  24 . An upper end of the tube  34  may be secured to an insert  40  by any suitable method or means, and may be a simple push fit in the insert  40 . 
     The insert  40  is partially insertable into the bag  24  through the opening  28  and is also partially insertable into the bottle  10  through the neck  14 . 
     Preferably, the insert is permanently fixed in a fluid tight manner to the sheets  26  around the opening  28 , for example by heat or ultrasonic welding. The insert  40  and the bag  24  could alternatively be of unitary construction. The insert  40  is preferably irremovably fixed to the neck  14  by a simple push fit or any other suitable method or means but could alternatively be removable by a user to achieve a refillable system. 
     As shown in FIGS. 2,  4  and  6 , the insert  40  may be a one-piece plastics moulding having a tubular member  42  which defines an orifice and extends centrally of a side wall  44 , a transverse wall  46  and a pair of opposed lower sections  48 . 
     The side wall  44  is shown with an outwardly extending flange  50  at its upper end, for limiting insertion of the insert  40  into the bottle  10 , and an inwardly directed rib  52  at a position generally mid-way between the flange  50  and the transverse wall  46 . The transverse wall  46  is shown with a plurality of holes  54  therethrough for joining the buffer zone  32  to an annular channel  56  defined between the tubular member  42  and the side wall  44  and thus surrounding the tubular member  42 . The opposed lower sections  48  are shown as hollow, to prevent sinkage in moulding, and thereby facilitate the fluid tight fixing of the insert  40  to the bag  24 . 
     A lower end of the tubular member  42  may be inwardly recessed for receiving the upper end of the tube  34  and an upper end of the tubular member  42  may be inwardly chamfered. 
     Typically the bag  24  will be supplied to a user when already partially filled with a first material, such as hydrogen peroxide. It will therefore be necessary to prevent the first material escaping through the tube  34  and the tubular member  42 . A removable flip top cap could be provided for closing the upper end of the tubular member  42 . Alternatively, the upper end of the tubular member  42  could be closed by a rupturable film seal. Preferably, however, a removable cap  58  is provided, as shown in FIG.  2 . 
     The cap  58 , which may again be a one-piece plastics moulding, may have a plug seal  60  for sealingly closing the upper end of the tubular member  42 . A securing part  62  of the cap  58  could be an airtight fit with the neck  14  of the bottle  10 . However, there are advantages in forming the securing part  62  of the cap  58  as a non-airtight fit. For example, there could be an internal thread  64  which is a breathable screw fit with the external thread  16  on the neck  14  of the bottle  10  to provide an air passageway to atmosphere from the annular channel  56 . 
     One advantage is that, if hydrogen peroxide in the bag  24  became unstable and produced oxygen, the bag  24  could expand with air in the buffer zone  32  escaping through the holes  54  in the insert  40  and then between the threads  16  and  64 . 
     Another advantage is that, if the buffer zone  32  were to be subjected to an unwanted pressure change, for example as a result of air travel, air could again either escape from or enter the buffer zone  32  by the above-indicated route. 
     The hair colouring kit as so far described allows a user to prepare a hair colouring composition or other flowable composition just prior to use. 
     In practice, at least a second material is added to the first material in the reservoir. If the reservoir had been supplied in an empty state, or had been emptied in a previous use, it would of course first be necessary to add some first material to the reservoir. In any event, the initially separated materials need to be allowed to mix. 
     As shown schematically, in FIG. 4, the second material may be stored in an entirely independent container  66 . If the first material is hydrogen peroxide, the second material is likely to be a dye. As dyes can be oxygen sensitive, the container  66  may need to provide an excellent oxygen barrier. Moreover, if the dye is in the form of a gel, cream or paste, for example, the container  66  could need to be plastically deformable to allow a user to squeeze the dye therefrom. On the other hand, if the dye is in the form of a liquid, the dye might be able to exit the container  66  under the influence of gravity. 
     If the container  66  is resiliently deformable, the bag  24  is preferably inflated with air above the first material—if the container  66  is not resiliently deformable, the bag  24  is preferably deflated. 
     The user may be supplied with a plurality of the containers  66  and each of the containers  66  may contain a different material such as a different shade of hair colorant with the intention that one or more of the containers  66  are to be emptied into the reservoir to form a particular flowable composition such as a hair colouring composition of specifically selected shade. 
     It is desirable for the container  66 , or each of the containers  66 , to include a long nozzle  68  which can extend completely through the tubular member  42  into the tube  34 . This can give good docking in that the container  66  is less likely to come apart from the bottle  10  even when the user is using both hands to squeeze the container  66 . It can also promote good mixing in that the contents of the container  66  might be squirted from close range directly into the contents of the bag  24 . Clearly, it will be necessary for the container  66  to be opened before insertion of the long nozzle  68  into the tubular member  42 , and opening may be effected by breaking off, cutting off or twisting off the nozzle&#39;s tip  70  (shown in broken outline in FIG.  4 ). 
     It will be appreciated that, as the second material is emptied from the container  66  into the bag  24 , the volume of any air in the bag  24  above the first material will be progressively reduced, and any such compressed air should be encouraged to escape to prevent the bag  24  from expanding. 
     If the nozzle  68  is a loose fit in the tubular member  42 , the compressed air will escape through that loose fit. Alternatively, one or more splines could be formed along the length of the nozzle  68  and/or one or more air escape castellations could be formed on the dye container adjacent a base of the nozzle  68 . Dependent on the nature of the second material in the container  66 , and the dimensions, the compressed air might inject upwards through the second material to form an air pocket in the container  66  which expands as the air pocket in the bag  24  contracts. 
     Even if the bag  24  does expand, air in the buffer zone  32  would escape through the holes  54  in the transverse wall  46  of the insert  40 , as previously described. 
     After sufficient of the second material has been added to the first material, the container  66  is removed from the bottle  10  and is either discarded, or resealed and saved for future use. 
     As alternatives to adding the second material to the first material by decanting, the second material may be contained in a container which is formed with or located within the bag  24  and which is rupturable, for example by squeezing the body  12  of the bottle  10 , or which is otherwise capable of allowing the second material to be added to the first material. 
     When the second material has been added to the first material, they are preferably mixed at this stage by shaking the bottle  10 . It would be possible for the user to prevent escape of the contents of the bag  24  by placing a gloved finger over the upper end of the tubular member  42  whilst shaking. It may be more convenient, however, for the user to replace the cap  58  so that the plug seal  60  closes the upper end of the tubular member  42 . In either case, the tube  34  acts to restrain the bag  24 , while shaking and/or inverting the bottle  10 , and thereby aids mixing by allowing the contents of the bag  24  to move more freely than the bag  24 . It is believed that optimum mixing by shaking occurs if around  10 % of the volume of the bag  24  is left as headspace. If the bag  24  and the body  12  of the bottle  10  are both translucent, it is possible to check visually whether or not mixing has been completed. 
     To prepare for discharge of the flowable composition formed by the first and the second materials, or more specifically the hair colouring composition formed by the hydrogen peroxide and the dye, the insert  40  is again exposed to allow a spout  72  to be attached to the insert  40 , as shown in FIGS. 5 and 6. 
     The spout  72  may once again be a one-piece plastics moulding, here comprising a cylindrical portion  74  leading to a domed portion  76  which itself leads to a tapered portion  78 . A bottom end of the cylindrical portion  74  is formed with an outwardly directed rib  80 . A top end of the cylindrical portion  74  is formed adjacent a shoulder  82  presented by the domed portion  76 . One or more, such as three, air inlets  84  extend through the domed portion  76  and may be equally circumferentially spaced around the domed portion  76 . The tapered portion  78  is formed with an elongate passageway  86  which gradually narrows along its length from a larger lower end to a single outlet  88  at a smaller upper end. An annular recess  90  is formed in an inner surface of the tapered portion  78  near the larger lower end of the passageway  86 . An annular rib  92  is formed on an outer surface of the tapered portion  78  near the smaller upper end of the passageway  86 . 
     A valve member  94 , which may be formed of a silicone polymer and may be of unitary construction, is attachable to the spout  72 . 
     Preferably, the valve member  94  includes an inlet part in the form of an annular flapper valve  96  which acts as a one-way check valve to control entry of air through the air inlets  84 . 
     Preferably, the valve member  94  also includes an outlet part in the form of a central quadrolobe valve  98  which acts as a one-way check valve to control exit of hair colouring composition through the passageway  86 . A quadrolobe valve  98  is preferred because it opens from the centre not the side and thus gives a smoother flow of hair colouring composition therethrough. However, as alternatives to a quadrolobe valve  98 , the outlet part of the valve member  94  could be a flapper valve, an umbrella valve or a duckbill valve. 
     The flapper valve  96  and the quadrolobe valve  98  may be joined by an intermediate part including a transverse sealing wall  100  and a frusto-conical locating wall  102  whose outer surface has an annular rib  104 . 
     The valve member  94  is easily attached to the spout  72  by pushing the quadrolobe valve  98  into the passageway  86  until the annular rib  104  on the valve member  94  engages with the annular recess  90  in the spout  72 . 
     The spout  72  is then itself easily attached to the insert  40  by pushing the cylindrical portion  74  of the spout  72  into the annular channel  56  of the insert  40  until the rib  80  on the cylindrical portion  74  snaps passed the rib  52  on the insert  40 , with an audible or at least tangible click, at which time the shoulder  82  of the spout  72  is brought into abutment with the flange  50  of the insert  40  and the sealing wall  100  of the valve member  94  is brought into sealing engagement with the upper end of the tubular member  42  of the insert  40 . 
     In an alternative construction, the spout  72  can be attached to the insert  40  by a screw fit rather than the above-noted push fit. 
     The bottle  10  could be shaken after the spout  72  has been attached to the insert  40  in order to mix or re-mix the flowable composition. 
     In order to deliver the hair colouring composition from the bag  24  to the outlet  88  in the spout  72 , from where the hair colouring composition is discharged in a line to for example the roots of a head of hair, the body  12  of the bottle  10  is squeezed by the user. This compresses the air in the buffer zone  32  but the compressed air cannot escape through the fluid passageway including the holes  54 , the annular channel  56  and the air inlets  84  because the flapper valve  96  acts to close the air inlets  84 . Instead, the compressed air acts to partly collapse the bag  24  so that some hair colouring composition is forced out through the fluid passageway including the tube  34 , the tubular member  42 , the frusto-conical locating wall  102  and the quadrolobe valve  98 , which opens to let the hair colouring composition therethrough. When the user stops squeezing the body  12  of the bottle  10 , the bottle  10  quickly reforms in shape so that the buffer zone  32  expands. The quadrolobe valve  98  closes to prevent suckback of the hair colouring composition beyond the quadrolobe valve  98  and the bag  24  maintains its partly collapsed state. Instead, air is sucked into the buffer zone  32  past the flapper valve  96  which opens to let air in through the air inlets  84 . 
     Squeezing of the body  12  of the bottle  10  is repeated by the user with whatever pressure and frequency is deemed appropriate to the circumstances. 
     It will be appreciated that the holes  36  in the tube  34  can prevent the hair colouring composition becoming trapped, as the bag  24  is progressively collapsed to bring the sheets  26  of the bag  24  into contact with one another, and the tube  34  might itself collapse to allow flowable composition in the tube  34  to be discharged. 
     As the hair colouring composition is dispensed, the user may see through the at least translucent body  12  that the bag  24  is collapsing. This should reassure a user who feared that the hair colouring composition could run out without warning. 
     Although the reservoir for the first material may be a side sealed sachet, as hereinbefore described, the reservoir could take other forms—for example, an inner collapsible layer distinct from an outer deformable layer would also be provided by an inverting-half-bag bottle or a delaminating bottle, the latter preferably peeling progressively away from a neck thereof, or by a compression blown bag integrally moulded with the insert. 
     Moreover, although the valve member may be of unitary construction but dual function, as hereinbefore described, the valve member could take other forms—for example, separate valves could be provided for controlling exit of hair colouring composition and entry of air, the latter possibly being a simple air hole in the body of the bottle which a user closes with a finger. 
     Referring now to FIGS. 7 and 8, a surface applicator  106  is shown removably secured over the outlet  88  of the spout  72 . More particularly, the surface applicator  106  may include a pad  108  of foam or sponge material having a resiliently compressible porous structure. Such a structure not only has a plurality of outlets, but allows hair colouring composition emerging from the outlet  88  to pass through the pad  108  and by careful manipulation be evenly spread along the hairline. The pad  108  may be located at or near an upper end of a carrier  110  with a lower half of the carrier  110  being frusto-conical in the direction leading from a smaller upper end to a larger lower end. An inner surface of the lower half of the carrier  110  may be formed with an annular recess  112  for detachably engaging with the annular rib  92  on the spout  72  when the carrier  110  is pushed onto the spout  72 . The carrier  110  and the spout  72  may be mutually configured to avoid relative rotation. The pad  108  may present a curved face, to facilitate accurate application, with the curved face extending only partly around the circumference of an upper half of the carrier  110 . If the pad  108  is formed of a plastics material, and the carrier  110  is also formed of a plastics material, the pad  108  may be fixed to the carrier  110  by use of an adhesive. Clearly, if the original surface applicator  106  is not to be cleaned and re-used, a range of surface applicators  106  could be provided which are either similar if intended to be disposable or different if intended to be interchangeable. 
     As shown in FIGS. 9 to  12 , a brush/comb-like applicator  114  could be removably secured over the outlet  88  of the spout  72  instead of the surface applicator  106 , the brush/comb-like applicator  114  including a housing  116  and a releasable unit  118 . 
     The brush/comb-like applicator  114  could be a screw fit or a snap fit to the neck  14 . 
     The housing  116  is yet another one-piece plastics moulding here defining, considered from the top, an aperture  120 , a tapered open chamber  122  having a series of slotted webs  124  on its opposed major side walls, a guide tube  126  ensuring open communication into the chamber  122  from a chamber  128 , a slot  130  at an upper end of the chamber  128 , an internal thread  132  near a lower end of the chamber  128 , and a pair of opposed lug means  134  at the lower end of the chamber  128 . 
     The internal thread  132  is preferably strippable from a mould without screwing. 
     The housing  116  is a removable screw fit with the bottle  10  by virtue of the internal thread  132  in the chamber  128  engaging the external thread  16  on the neck  14 . As the housing  116  is progressively screwed on, the outlet  88  of the spout  72  enters the guide tube  126 . Finally, the lug means  134  cam along the ramps  22  of the lug means  18  and then snap into the gaps  20  of the lug means  18 . The snap may give an audible or at least tangible click to indicate that the housing  116  has been fully screwed onto the bottle  10 . In this final position, with the lug means  18  and  132  interengaged, the chamber  122  opens in the direction of the major axis of the body  12 , which it will be recalled is of generally oval section. 
     The releasable unit  118 , which is the final component of the present hair colouring kit, may again be formed as a one-piece moulding of a plastics material such as polypropylene, with an additive such as silicone to give a low coefficient of friction. 
     The releasable unit  118  can be at least in part translucent to signal to a user that the flowable composition is about to be delivered. 
     The unit  118  comprises a support  136  which is generally planar and gradually tapers from a narrower upper end to a wider lower end. The narrower upper end has a resiliently deflectable catch  138  extending therefrom with a barb-like leading end  138   a . The wider lower end has a rigid catch  140  extending therefrom with a barb-like leading end  140   a . The periphery of the support  136  is formed with a skirt  142  which is of complementary outline to the opening of the chamber  122 . 
     A plurality of elongate parting members, such as substantially rigid teeth  144 , project from the support  136  in a direction opposed to the resiliently deflectable catch  138 , the rigid catch  140  and the skirt  142 . A plurality of outlets  146  for the flowable composition can extend through the support  136 . 
     As shown most clearly in FIG. 9, the teeth  144  may be arranged in two rows. The teeth  144  may but need not necessarily have generally triangular outlines of different transverse dimensions when viewed from the ends of the two rows. The transverse dimensions of the teeth  144  may progressively increase from the narrower upper end of the support  136  to the wider lower end of the support  136 . Moreover, the teeth  144  of the different rows may be staggered with respect to one another, and may again have generally triangular outlines but now of generally similar thicknesses when viewed from the sides of the two rows. 
     As shown most clearly in FIG. 11, at least two but possibly all of the outlets  146  further extend through respective ones of the teeth  144 . However, it may be desirable for one or more of the outlets  146  not to extend through the teeth  144 . For example, at least one outlet  146  may be positioned in the support  136  between adjacent ones of the teeth  144 . At least two but possibly all of the outlets  146  which extend through the teeth  144  may emerge through orifices  148  at the free ends of the teeth  144 . 
     In fact, although it is convenient to state that the orifices  148  are at the free ends of the teeth  144 , the orifices  148  may be slightly set back from the free ends of the teeth  144 , partly to avoid direct coating of the scalp, and partly as a result of a preferred moulding technique known as the passing face shut off technique, which allows the orifices  148  to be formed by a simple two-part mould without need of side pins. 
     To assemble the unit  118  with the housing  116 , it is merely necessary to locate the barb-like leading end  140   a  of the rigid catch  140  in the slot  130  and then pivot. This brings the free edge of the skirt  142  into engagement with the slotted webs  124  and also deflects the barb-like leading end  138   a  of the catch  138  to allow entry of the catch  138  into the aperture  120 . The unit  118  is fully secured to the housing  116  when the barb-like leading end  138   a  of the catch  138  emerges from the aperture  120  to snap engage with the material of the housing  116  around the aperture  120 . 
     To remove the unit  118  from the housing  116 , the reverse procedure is followed. The catch  138  is releasable by finger pressure. Alternatively, it may be possible to release the catch  138  by rolling the housing  116  over a hard surface in a manner such that the hard surface knocks the barb-like leading end  138   a  of the catch  138  back into the aperture  120 . It will be appreciated that release of the catch  138  occurs remotely of the orifices  148 . 
     One reason for removing the unit  118  from the housing  116  may be to facilitate cleaning of any residual hair colouring composition. 
     Another reason for removing the unit  118  from the housing  116  may be to allow replacement by another unit  118  of different type. For example, it may be desirable to replace the substantially rigid teeth  144 , which give a comb-like construction, by either a brush-like construction including a plurality of resiliently flexible bristles, or a sponge-like construction or, indeed, another comb-like construction in which there are teeth and/or orifices of different dimensions and/or different configurations. This may facilitate thorough dispersal of dispensed hair colouring composition in different situations, such as different hair lengths or different hair types. 
     The dimensions, positions and shapes of the orifices  148  may be changed, in different units  118 , dependent on the rheology of the hair colouring composition, or on the need for different colouring results such as root coverage, streaking or highlighting. 
     As a general matter, relevant to all of the present disclosure, the first container in which the first material is to be held can be construed as including the bottle when fitted with any one or combination of the different applicators. 
     As another general matter, relevant to all of the present disclosure, the flowable composition can be capable of demonstrating pseudo-plastic flow behaviour, here meaning that the flowable composition decreases in viscosity as it is sheared and, once the shearing has stopped, the internal structure of the flowable composition (which was responsible for the original viscosity) rebuilds very quickly causing an increase in viscosity approaching that of the original viscosity. 
     The flowable composition should be capable of the above-noted pseudo-plastic flow behaviour within a shear strain rate range of 0.01s −1  to 10,000s −1 , which is the most probable shear strain rate range to be encountered when the flowable composition is a hair colouring composition. 
     An example of a suitable flowable composition could have a viscosity of no less than 0.01 Pa.s (preferably no less than 0.15 Pa.s) when measured at a shear strain rate of 2000s 1  and no more than 5 Pa.s (preferably no more than 1.4 Pa.s) when measured at a shear strain rate of 10s −1 .