Granted Patent B2

US 9,480,999 · App. 14/795,215 · Granted Nov 1, 2016

Abstract

Claims (34)

1. A liquid refill system for use with a fragrance composition, said liquid refill system comprising:

a child device having a child liquid reservoir having a volume (Vcr) and a child air outlet valve, said child device having a first portion having a child dispensing mechanism and a second portion having a child refill mechanism comprising a child liquid inlet and a child one way liquid inlet refill valve associated therewith;

a parent device having a parent liquid reservoir containing a liquid, said parent device having a first portion having a parent refill mechanism and a parent liquid outlet, said parent device having a parent inlet and a parent one way liquid inlet valve associated therewith, said parent device having a parent pump and a parent actuator releasably attached to said parent device, wherein said parent pump has a pump volume (VPP), in liquid communication with the parent liquid reservoir via the parent one way liquid inlet valve and in liquid communication with said parent liquid outlet, wherein the ratio of the pump volume of the parent pump (Vpp) to the volume of the child liquid reservoir (Vcr) is 12:1 or less; and said parent actuator having an actuator stroke limitation means, whereby a maximum volume (Vpa) of liquid dispensed upon actuation of the parent actuator is predetermined and less than said pump volume (Vpp); and

a protective cap, said protective cap having a parent actuator detachment means, whereby the parent actuator is detached from the parent device and releaseably connected to the protective cap upon removal of the protective cap from the parent device and upon re-placement of the protective cap and parent actuator on the parent device, the parent actuator is released from the protective cap and re-attached to the parent device.

2. The liquid refill system according to claim 1 , wherein the parent device further comprises a parent air inlet valve.

3. The liquid refill system according to claim 1 , wherein said parent actuator detachment means is selected from a screw thread, lock and key system, rib lock, push closure and bayonet whereby said parent actuator is releasably attached to said protective cap.

4. The liquid refill system according to claim 1 , wherein said protective cap comprises a two component cap comprising an upper cap portion releasably attached to a lower cap portion, said lower cap portion comprising said parent actuator detachment means.

5. The liquid refill system according to claim 1 , wherein said parent actuator detachment means comprises a cap component and an actuator component, said components engaging with one another to releasably attach said cap to said actuator.

6. The liquid refill system according to claim 1 , wherein said parent actuator is detached from said parent device upon rotation of said protective cap by at least 45° about the actuator central axis.

7. The liquid refill system according to claim 1 , wherein the ratio of the pump volume of said parent pump (Vpp) to said child liquid reservoir (Vcr) is 10:1 or less.

8. The liquid refill system according to claim 1 , wherein the ratio of the pump volume of said parent pump (Vpp) to said child liquid reservoir (Vcr) is substantially 1:1.

9. The liquid refill system according to claim 1 , wherein the maximum volume (Vpa) of liquid dispensed upon actuation of said actuator is from 5% to 80% of said pump volume (Vpp).

10. The liquid refill system according to claim 1 , wherein the maximum volume (Vpa) of liquid dispensed upon actuation of the said actuator to said pump volume (Vpp) is from 1:20 to 4:5.

11. The liquid refill system according to claim 1 , wherein said child dispensing mechanism is a spray pump.

12. The liquid refill system according to claim 1 , wherein said parent device comprises a cavity to accommodate at least a portion of said child device.

13. The liquid refill system according to claim 1 , wherein the parent liquid reservoir has a liquid capacity of 100 ml or less.

14. The liquid refill system according to claim 1 , the maximum volume (Vpa) of liquid dispensed upon actuation of the parent actuator is 0.2 ml or less.

15. A method of refilling the liquid refill system according to claim 1 , the method comprising:

i) releasably detaching said actuator from said parent device and releasably coupling the child refill mechanism to the parent refill mechanism, and actuating the parent pump at least once to form a seal around a liquid pathway which extends from the parent liquid outlet to the child liquid inlet and the child one way liquid inlet refill valve of the child liquid reservoir, through which the liquid contained in the parent pump is transferred to the child liquid reservoir whilst air is expelled from the child liquid reservoir via the child air outlet valve, and upon termination of the actuation of the parent pump, the seal and the liquid pathway are disconnected, and the parent pump refills with liquid from the parent reservoir via the parent one way liquid inlet valve and parent inlet, and air enters the parent liquid reservoir via a parent air inlet valve of the parent liquid reservoir; and

ii) decoupling the child refill mechanism from the parent refill mechanism.

16. The method of refilling according to claim 15 , further comprising activating said parent actuator detachment means in order to attach said protective cap to said parent actuator and removing said protective cap and said actuator from said parent device.

17. The method of refilling according to claim 15 , wherein the parent pump is activated at least twice.

18. The method of refilling according to claim 15 , wherein said parent actuator is reattached to said parent pump.

19. A liquid refill system for use with a fragrance composition, said liquid refill system comprising:

a child device having a child liquid reservoir having a volume (Vcr) and a child air outlet valve, said child device having a first portion having a child dispensing mechanism and a second portion having a child refill mechanism comprising a child liquid inlet and a child one way liquid inlet refill valve associated therewith;

a parent device having a parent liquid reservoir containing a liquid, said parent device having a first portion having a parent refill mechanism and a parent liquid outlet, said parent device having a parent inlet and a parent one way liquid inlet valve associated therewith, said parent device having a parent pump and a parent actuator releasably attached to said parent device, wherein said parent pump has a pump volume (VPP), in liquid communication with the parent liquid reservoir via the parent one way liquid inlet valve and in liquid communication with said parent liquid outlet, wherein the ratio of the pump volume of the parent pump (Vpp) to the volume of the child liquid reservoir (Vcr) is 12:1 or less; and said parent actuator having an actuator stroke limitation means, whereby a maximum volume (Vpa) of liquid dispensed upon actuation of the parent actuator is predetermined and less than said pump volume (Vpp); and

wherein said parent device further comprises a parent liquid return valve and parent return valve outlet.

20. A method of refilling the liquid refill system according to claim 1 , the method comprising:

i) providing a liquid refill system for use with a fragrance composition, said liquid refill system comprising:

a child device having a child liquid reservoir having a volume (Vcr) and a child air outlet valve, said child device having a first portion having a child dispensing mechanism and a second portion having a child refill mechanism comprising a child liquid inlet and a child one way liquid inlet refill valve associated therewith, and

a parent device having a parent liquid reservoir containing a liquid, said parent device having a first portion having a parent refill mechanism and a parent liquid outlet, said parent device having a parent inlet and a parent one way liquid inlet valve associated therewith, said parent device having a parent pump and a parent actuator releasably attached to said parent device, wherein said parent pump has a pump volume (Vpp), in liquid communication with the parent liquid reservoir via the parent one way liquid inlet valve and in liquid communication with said parent liquid outlet, wherein the ratio of the pump volume of the parent pump (Vpp) to the volume of the child liquid reservoir (Vcr) is 12:1 or less; and said parent actuator having an actuator stroke limitation means, whereby a maximum volume (Vpa) of liquid dispensed upon actuation of the parent actuator is predetermined and less than said pump volume (Vpp);

ii) releasably detaching said actuator from said parent device and releasably coupling the child refill mechanism to the parent refill mechanism, and actuating the parent pump at least once to form a seal around a liquid pathway which extends from the parent liquid outlet to the child liquid inlet and the child one way liquid inlet refill valve of the child liquid reservoir, through which the liquid contained in the parent pump is transferred to the child liquid reservoir whilst air is expelled from the child liquid reservoir via the child air outlet valve, and upon termination of the actuation of the parent pump, the seal and the liquid pathway are disconnected, and the parent pump refills with liquid from the parent reservoir via the parent one way liquid inlet valve and parent inlet, and air enters the parent liquid reservoir via a parent air inlet valve of the parent liquid reservoir;

iii) decoupling the child refill mechanism from the parent refill mechanism; and

iv) activating said parent actuator detachment means in order to attach said protective cap to said parent actuator and removing said protective cap and said actuator from said parent device.

Assignments (16)