Patent Publication Number: US-2006020238-A1

Title: Applicator with interchangeable inserts

Description:
BACKGROUND  
      1. Field of Invention  
      The present invention relates generally to an applicator with interchangeable containers that may be inserted into the applicator. More specifically, the applicator with interchangeable inserts relates to an absorbent swab applicator with a hollow interior to accept insertion of an interchangeable container.  
      2. Description of Related Art  
      Swab applicators such as the cotton swab applicators are commonly used to clean small surfaces and apply chemicals such as medications to wounds and other small surfaces. The most common type of cotton swab applicator comprises of a solid elongated round stick with a ball of cotton affixed to each of its ends. The end of the cotton swab applicator is generally dipped into a container of the chemical or medication to retrieve a small quantity of the same to be applied to a surface. The dipping of the end of the cotton swab applicator into the container contaminates and shortens the shelf life of the remaining contents of the container. Furthermore, it is inconvenient to carry the container with the remaining contents after the required amount is retrieved and applied.  
      The conventional use of the cotton swab applicator with two or more chemicals or medication is also virtually impossible due to contamination of the contents of one container with the chemical or medication from the other container. Two separate cotton swab applicators will have to be used with one cotton swab applicator used for each chemical or medication. Therefore, using conventional swab applicators, two cotton swab applicators are necessary along with two separate relatively large containers of the chemicals or medications to be applied. After use, the two relatively large containers with their remaining contents must be retained and transported if they are used away from their normal storage locations. This is not only inconvenient but also the risk of contamination to the remaining contents in the two containers is very high.  
     BRIEF SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION  
      The applicator with interchangeable inserts comprises of an applicator comprising an elongated hollow tube with an absorbent applicator tip affixed to one end. The applicator with interchangeable inserts further comprises of one or more inserts, each comprising an elongated tubular housing with a sealed end and an open end wherein a fluid is enclosed near the sealed end with a viscous substance disposed near the open end sealing the fluid within the elongated tubular housing. The elongated tubular housing has a smaller outside dimension than the inside dimension of the applicator. The elongated tubular housing is further provided with an opening means such as a score line near the sealed end to allow release of the enclosed fluid through the open end of the elongated tubular housing. Multiple interchangeable inserts may be provided to be selectively inserted into the applicator. After the insert is inserted into the applicator, the opening means on the insert is operated to release the enclosed fluid into the applicator tip. Multiple interchangeable inserts may be simultaneously inserted into an applicator that has a sufficiently large inside dimension to accommodate the multiple inserts. 
    
    
     BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS  
       FIG. 1  shows the preferred embodiment of the applicator.  
       FIG. 2  shows the preferred embodiment of the interchangeable insert.  
       FIG. 3  shows the preferred embodiment of the applicator with an interchangeable insert inserted into the applicator.  
       FIG. 4  shows another embodiment of the applicator with an interchangeable insert inserted into the applicator.  
       FIG. 5  shows another embodiment of the applicator with two interchangeable inserts inserted into the applicator. 
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT  
      The following description and figures are meant to be illustrative only and not limiting. Other embodiments of this invention will be apparent to those of ordinary skill in the art in view of this description.  
       FIG. 1  shows the preferred embodiment of the applicator. The applicator with interchangeable inserts comprises of an applicator  1  comprising an elongated hollow tube  2  with an absorbent applicator tip  3  affixed to one end. Preferably the elongated hollow tube  2  is made of a flexible plastic material such as polypropylene that will bend without fracturing. Also preferably, the absorbent applicator tip  3  is made of cotton or a foam material. However, the applicator tip  3  may also be a nozzle or an opening.  
      The applicator with interchangeable inserts further comprises of one or more inserts  4 , as shown in  FIG. 2 , each comprising an elongated tubular housing  5  with a sealed end  6  and an open end  7  wherein a fluid  8  is enclosed near the sealed end  6  with a viscous substance  9  disposed near the open end  7  sealing the fluid  8  within the elongated tubular housing  5 . Preferably the elongated tubular housing  5  is made of a plastic material such as polypropylene. The viscous substance  9  is preferably silicone, but any other suitable viscous substance that will separate the fluid  8  in the elongated tubular housing  5  from the outside environment may be used. The elongated tubular housing  5  has a smaller outside dimension than the inside dimension of the applicator  1  such that it can slide into the applicator  1 . The elongated tubular housing  5  is further provided with an opening means  10  near the sealed end  6  to allow release of the enclosed fluid  8  through the open end  7  of the elongated tubular housing  5 . The preferred opening means  10  is a score line that will fracture upon bending of the elongated tubular housing  5  near the score line. However, any other suitable opening means such as a screw-on cap or a removable cap may be used.  
      In an alternative embodiment, the one or more inserts is an elongated tubular housing with a first sealed end and a second sealed end that is sealed with an opening mean in the form of a pressure rupturable seal enclosing a fluid. Preferably the elongated tubular housing is made of a plastic material that allows compression of the elongated tubular housing. The pressure rupturable seal may be opened by compressing the elongated tubular housing thereby increasing the fluid pressure exerted against the pressure rupturable seal thereby rupturing the pressure rupturable seal.  
      In operating the preferred embodiment, the insert  4  is inserted into the applicator  1  with its open end  7  towards the applicator tip  3  as shown in  FIGS. 3 and 4  and then the opening means  10  is operated to open the sealed end  6  of the insert  4  to release the fluid  8  in the insert  4  into the applicator tip  3  through the open end  7 . In operating the alternative embodiment, the insert with the pressure rupturable seal is inserted with the second end with the pressure rupturable seal towards the applicator tip and then compressed to open the second sealed end by rupturing the pressure rupturable seal. As shown in  FIG. 3 , a restriction  11  may be formed in the applicator  1  at or near the end opposite the applicator tip  3  such that when the sealed end  6  of the insert  4  is inserted into the applicator  1  past the restriction  11 , the restriction  11  will retain the insert  4  in the applicator  1 . If sealing is desired, the restriction  11  may be in the form of a ring that will seal around the insert  4  and prevent back-flow of the fluid  8  out of the end of the applicator  1 .  
      In another embodiment, the sealed end  6  of the insert  4  may have a protrusion  12  such that when it is inserted into the applicator  1 , the protrusion  12  will create an interference fit between the insert  4  and the applicator  1 . As shown in  FIG. 4 , the protrusion  12  may be in the form of a ring near the sealed end  6  of the insert  4  such that when the insert  4  is inserted into the applicator  1 , the ring will seal the open end of the applicator  1 .  
      As shown in  FIG. 5 , multiple interchangeable inserts  4  may be provided to be selectively inserted into the applicator  1 . After the inserts  4  are inserted into the applicator  1 , the opening means  10  on the inserts  4  are operated to release the enclosed fluids  8  into the applicator tip  3 . Multiple interchangeable inserts  4  may be simultaneously inserted into an applicator  1  that has a sufficiently large inside dimension to accommodate the multiple inserts  4 . The applicator  1  may have an elliptical cross-section to accommodate two inserts  4 . The applicator  1  may have a triangular cross-section to accommodate three inserts  4 . The applicator  1  may have a square cross-section to accommodate four inserts  4 .  
      Although the invention has been described in terms of particular embodiments and applications, one of ordinary skill in the art, in light of this teaching, can generate additional embodiments and modifications without departing from the spirit of or exceeding the scope of the claimed invention. Accordingly, it is to be understood that the drawings and descriptions herein are proffered by way of example to facilitate comprehension of the invention and should not be construed to limit the scope thereof.