Hand held dispensing and application apparatus

Abstract

A dispensing and application apparatus designed to contain pre-measured amounts of a flowable substance. The apparatus comprises a compartment 130 for storing the substance that is partially enclosed by a frangible seal 210, an applicator 100, and an expandable chamber 170 designed to accept and dissipate the hydraulic force created when pressure is applied to the compartment 130, rupturing the frangible seal 210, and expelling the substance into the chamber 170. The applicator 100 is attached to the chamber 170 with an applicator bond area 180. The expandability of the chamber 170 is conferred by expandability of the applicator 100, and is varied in different embodiments by altering the ratio between the area of the applicator bond area 180 and the area of the applicator 100. The frangible seal 210, in one of many embodiments, may be a chevron shape stress riser 250 with a point of inflection 240 oriented towards the compartment 130. A removable cap may cover the applicator.

Description

TECHNICAL FIELD [0001] The instant invention relates to hand held dispensing packages, and particularly to a flexible package for storing and dispensing a fluid substance, wherein a controlled rupture seal facilitates transfer of the substance into an unsealed area behind a foam applicator at the time of dispensing. The integral foam applicator facilitates a clean and even spreading of the dispensed substance. BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION [0002] Measured amounts of various fluid substances are increasingly commonly dispensed in relatively small flexible packages often composed of plastic or foil. The fluids include a wide variety of products, including foodstuffs such as condiments (for example ketchup, mustard, relish and the like), personal care products such as shampoos and skin creams, cleaning products such as various packaged “wipes,” and pharmaceutical products such as medications. [0003] A typical example is the ubiquitous single serving ketchup pack, which is generally forme...

AI Technical Summary

Benefits of technology

"The invention is a new dispensing apparatus that solves problems with previous designs. It has a controlled rupture seal that reliably ruptures at a predetermined pressure with a sufficient orifice size. It also has an expandable expansion chamber that absorbs the hydraulic shock of the dispensed substance, providing time for the fluid to spread into the applicator. The apparatus is low cost disposable packaging for a wide array of flowable substances, providing better sanitation, lower spillage or waste, and improved aesthetic and hygienic concerns during application. It allows a user to apply a small measured quantity of a substance in a controlled manner without getting it on the fingers or hands and without the necessity of using the fingers, hands or an additional implement to spread the substance."

Problems solved by technology

The prior art describes the concept of an applicator attached to flexible foil wings of a dispensing package, but experimentation with such a design revealed that it was deficient in any number of applications.

First, if the applicator foam was attached as separate pads (opposing pads disposed on the underside of outwardly folding wings) there was a tendency for the dispensed substance to break through the frangible seal and squirt out on the user or floor, before it could be absorbed and spread by the absorbent pads.

Alternatively, when the absorbent pad was designed as a single pad spanning a small central opening in the packaging seal, the problem remained unattenuated, as the dispensed substance tended to shoot through the absorbent pad, with the same ill effects noted above.

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