US3466131A - Dispensing applicator package - Google Patents

Description

Sept. 9, 1969 J. L. ARCUDI DISPENSING APPLICAI'OR PACKAGE Filed Sept. 7, 1967 INVEN'I'OR.

.Hrcud/ ATTORNEY United States Patent O DISPENSING APPLICATOR PACKAGE Joseph L. Arcndi, Elizabeth, N.J., assignor, by mesne assignments, to Becton, Dickinson and Company,

Rutherford, N.J., a corporation of New Jersey Filed Sept. 7, 1967, Ser. No. 666,051 Int. Cl. A45d 34/00; A61m 35/00 US. Cl. 401132 1 Claim ABSTRACT OF THE DISCLOSURE BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION Field of the inventin.The present invention relates to dispensing packages. More particularly, the present invention is directed to a package for dispensing a product in liquid or cream form, the product being contained in a frangible container within the package prior to use. Ac cordingly, the general objects of the present invention are to provide new and improved apparatus of such character.

Description of the prior art.--Dispensing packages wherein a material to be dispensed was retained within a frangible container integral within the package have been known in the art. One of the most common of such packages is the well known ammonia inhalant ampul. These prior art dispensing packages have, however, not found wide usage due to several inherent deficiencies which they possess.

The lack of success of selfdispensing packages with integral frangible storage containers is in part attributable to the fact that, upon fracture of the container, the product released therefrom would be applied to the porous applicator pad of the package only in the limited areas where the container was juxtapositioncd to the pad. This characteristic dictated that the application surface of the porous pad, for most eflicient use, be commensurate in size with the storage container. Otherwise, uneven application of the product being dispensed would occur with the thicker coating occurring on surface areas contacted by the portions of the pad directly beneath the position of the container prior to fracture. Accordingly, the limitation was imposed that the frangible storage container either be of substantial size or the applicator pad be small and the package be used only for the application of the product stored therein to a relatively small surface area with each application stroke. The treatment of relatively small surface areas is, for many products, an obvious deterrent to their being packaged in a dispensing package of the type being discussed. On the other hand, while it is often desired to simultaneously treat a relatively large surface area with the product, it is usually desirable that the amount of product to be stored be of limited quantity. This is particularly true where the package is intended for transportation in the pocket or purse. The requirements of ability to evenly treat a relatively large surface area while dispensing a limited quantity of product have previously been in conflict since the most readily available frangible container is hemispherical in shape.

An additional problem inherent in prior art dispensing packages of the type wherein a product to be dispensed was stored within a frangible container resided in the problem of fracturing the container. In the case of the ampul,

3,466,131 Patented Sept. 9, 1969 the frangible storage container was fractured by distortingthe device until breakage occurred. Such distortion of a dispensing package having an applicator pad is, in most cases, not feasible. It has also been proposed to fracture the product container by means of inserting a pointed obect into the package through the pad. This procedure, of course, has the obvious disadvantage that an additional tool is needed. As a third approach, it has been proposed to fabricate the upper part of the dispensing package from a flexible material thereby enabling the container to merely be crushed. However, if the upper portion of the package is to be fabricated from a material of sutficient flexlbility to permit crushing the frangible product container, the obvious problem of providing a sufliciently sturdy means to support the package during application of the product is presented. This is a particularly crucial problem when the product to be dispensed may not come in contact with the skin.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION The present invention comprises an improved dispensing package which overcomes the above-discussed disadvantages of the prior art. The dispensing package of the present invention includes a lower applicator pad of porous material which is sealed to the underside of a housing comprised of a thermoplastic material. The housing is formed so as to provide a space or chamber adjacent the unexposed side of the applicator pad and a frangible capsule containing a product to be dispensed is positioned Within this chamber. The cross-sectional. area of the capsule is substantially smaller than the surface area of the applicator pad. Fracturing of the capsule to release the material to be dispensed is accomplished by compressing the housing and, when released, the material to be dispensed is directed over a wide area of the unexposed surface of the applicator pad by means of channels which are formed in the housing during its manufacture. The channels and additional rib members, both of which radiate outwardly from the chamber portion of the housing, contribute to the rigidity of the chamber portion so that, while compressible to fracture the capsule, the chamber portion may nevertheless be used as an applicator handle for the dispensing package.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWING The present invention may be better understood and its numerous advantages will become apparent to those skilled in the art by reference to the accompanying drawing wherein like reference numerals refer to like elements in the various figures and in which:

FIGURE 1 is a perspective view of a first embodiment of a dispensing package in accordance with the present invention;

FIGURE 2 is a top view of the package of FIGURE 1;

FIGURE 3 is a cross-sectional view, taken along line 33 of FIGURE 2, of the package of FIGURES 1 and 2;

FIGURE 4 is a cross-sectional side view, taken along line 4-4 of FIGURE 2, of the package of FIGURES 1 and 2.

FIGURE 5 is a side view depicting the use of the present invention;

FIGURE 6 is a partial cross-sectional side view, taken along line 66 of FIGURE 2, of the embodiment of the present invention shown in FIGURES 1 and 2;

FIGURE 7 is a cross-sectional side view, taken along line 7-7 of FIGURE 2, of a portion of the embodiment of the present invention shown in FIGURES 1 and 2.

DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT Referring nowto FIGURE 1, a preferred embodiment of the dispensing package of the present invention is shown in perspective. The body portion of the package will typically be fabricated from a thermoplastic material whichcan be molded into any desired shape. In the embodiment of FIGURE 1, the thermoplastic material has been formed so as to provide a housing having a centrally located bubble portion or chamber 10 which is surrounded by a substantially disc-shaped base portion indicated generally at 12. Base portion 12 of the package body is molded to have a pair of coaxial sections 14 and 16, the plane of section 16 being slightly above the plane of section 14 as may best be seen from FIGURES 3 and 4. In the molding process, a plurality of ribs 18 and channels 20 are formed. The channels and ribs radiate outwardly into coaxial section 16 from bubble portion 10. As may best be seen from the consideration of FIGURES 3 and 7, channels 20 are hollow and have walls which project angularly to the plane of section 16 and taper outwardly from bubble portion 10. As may best be seen from FIG- URE 4, the rib portions are solid.

Afiixed to the underside of portion 12 of the package body, usually by means of being heat sealed to coaxial section 14 with the aid of a suitable adhesive, is an applicator pad 22. Pat 22, which may best be seen from FIG- URES 3, 4 and 5, is comprised of a porous, absorbent material such as felt, flannel or a spongy material such as cellular polyurethane resin.

Positioned within bubble portion 10, such positioning being during the manufacture of the package and prior to the joining of pad 22 to section 14, is a spherical pellet or capsule 24. Capsule 24 contains a single shot or dose of the product to be dispensed and will be comprised of a rigid, readily breakable material such as glass, a plastic such as polyvinyl chloride, gelatin or alginate. Capsule 24 is thus frangible but, due to its spherical shape and the fact that it is protected within bubble portion 10 by the thermoplastic material and pad 22, is not apt to be accidently broken thus releasing its contents prior to the desired time.

In use, when it is desired to apply the contents of capsule 24 to a surface, the capsule is fractured by compressing the flexible walls of bubble portion 10 in the manner shown in FIGURE 5. The breaking of capsule 24 releases its contents, which may be either a liquid or cream product, inside of bubble portion 10 and on the upper surface of applicator pad 22. Channels 20 cause the released product to rapidly be dispersed over a wide area of the upper surface of pad 22. This rapid disbursement is, of course, enhanced by the natural aifinity of the product to the smooth walls of the inside of channels 22.

When the product completely permeates pad 22, application thereof to the desired surface may begin. The ap- 5O 4 lar to the planes of section 16 and a top wall so as further to stiffen the housing.

While a preferred embodiment has been shown and described, various modifications and substitutions may be made thereto without departing from the spirit and scope of the present invention. Accordingly, it is to be understood that the present invention has been described by way of illustration and not limitation.

I claim:

1. A dispensing package comprising:

a plastic housing including a centrally located chamber defining portion having resiliently flexible walls and a base portion surrounding said chamber portion, the chamber defining portion extending outwardly from said base portion;

a porous applicator pad, said pad being aflixed about its periphery to said base portion of said housing and forming the bottom of said chamber portion, said pad having an application surface area substantially larger than the cross-sectional area of said chamber portion;

a frangible capsule containing a product to be dispensed through said applicator pad, said capsule being located in said chamber defining portion of said housing, and fracturable upon compression of said flexible walls, and

means for directing at least a portion of the product released upon fracture of said capsule radially outward from said chamber defining portion of said housing to insure distribution of the product over a wide area of said pad, said means comprising a plurality of elongated channels in said housing, said channels communicating at their inner end with said chamber defining portion and extending outwardly into said base portion, said channels being open on the side facing said applicator pad, said housing comprising a body of thermoplastic material molded to form a chamber portion which is surrounded by a sheet-like base portion, said chamber portion being open in the plane of said base portion and said channels having walls projecting angularly from the upper surface of said base portion.

References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 3,386,793 6/1968 Stanton 401-132 3,403,961 10/1968 Gazzani 401202 FOREIGN PATENTS 797,033 6/1958 Great Britain. l,0l6,053 1/1966 Great Britain.

EUGENE R. CAPOZIO, Primary Examiner H. S. SKOGQUIST, Assistant Examiner US. Cl. X.R. 128-260; 401-139

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