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ContainerRelated Patent Categories: Dispensing, With Discharge Assistant (e.g., Impeller, Pump, Conveyer, Movable Trap Chamber, Etc.), Fluid Pressure, Valve Actuated By Nozzle Or Through Valve Outlet, With Container End Overcap Having ActuatorContainer description/claimsThe Patent Description & Claims data below is from USPTO Patent Application 20070164056, Container. Brief Patent Description - Full Patent Description - Patent Application Claims
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION [0001] 1. Field of the Invention [0002] The invention relates to a container with a reservoir, a product dispensing opening, and a device for discharging the product contained in the reservoir out through the product dispensing opening. [0003] 2. Related Art [0004] Containers of this kind are sufficiently well-known. Squeeze containers, aerosol containers, and containers with spray pumps have a discharge device. The discharge device has a deformable container wall in squeeze containers, a valve in aerosol containers, and a spray pump in spray pump containers. The product travels either directly from the reservoir to an open product dispensing opening or through a conduit and a stem to a product dispensing opening embodied as a nozzle. In the vicinity of the product dispensing opening of an aerosol container or a spray pump container, a foam generator can also be provided in order to deliver the product in the form of a foam. Whereas with squeeze containers, hardly any perceptible noise is produced when the product, e.g. hair shampoo, is being dispensed, aerosol containers and spray pump containers generate a typical noise. This is particularly true for an aerosol container with a foam generator. [0005] The known containers have the disadvantage that the noise generated by them while the product is being dispensed depends solely on the technical embodiment of the container, e.g. its product dispensing opening, its discharge device, its dimensions (resonances), and its materials. This noise can be subjectively experienced as good or as less than good. If the noise does not sound good to the user, he may draw incorrect and negative conclusions about the technical design of the container and its contents. SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION [0006] The object of the invention is to prevent, suppress, or mask the noise of the container when dispensing the product, which is subjectively found to be unpleasant. [0007] According to the invention the container has [0008] a reservoir for a product; [0009] a discharge device with a product dispensing opening, which comprises means for discharging the product from the reservoir through the product dispensing opening; and [0010] means (5, 13) for preventing, suppressing or masking noise produced by a product discharge when dispensing the product by means of the discharge device. [0011] The invention has the advantage that during a product discharge, a sound is produced that is appealing to the user. This sound can initially be empirically determined through customer surveys and then technically implemented. Either the container is provided with a sound generator, which masks the natural discharge noise with a special sound, or else the natural dispensing noise, i.e. the noise produced when there is no sound generator or noise damper, is entirely or selectively damped so that its unpleasant frequencies are reduced with regard to their sound intensity or so that these frequencies are eliminated. [0012] If the container is an aerosol container or a spray pump container in which a spray conduit leading to a nozzle is provided on the container and the spray conduit has a mathematically continuous course with regard to its inner wall, particularly a continuously curved section of the spray conduit, i.e. a section without any corners, then there is only a low probability of eddies being produced in the emerging product. Since eddies generate undesirable noises, this results in a more pleasant sound when the product is being dispensed. [0013] At least one sounding rib in the spray conduit, which points in a particular direction radially away from the spray conduit, advantageously generates tones in accordance with its dimensions. It is also possible to provide a number of sounding ribs, whose tones heterodyne with one another. Due to resonance and stationary sound waves, particular pleasant sounds can thus be generated in a cap that encompasses the spray conduit and the sounding ribs. [0014] A spray conduit can be encompassed by a sound absorbing material in order to thus reduce the intrinsic sound level but also to damp certain frequency ranges to a particularly strong degree. In the vicinity of the valve stem of a spray pump container or an aerosol container, a measure of this kind is particularly useful because a relatively large amount of turbulence occurs in them and a corresponding noise generation consequently occurs. [0015] If the spray conduit is encompassed by several layers of sound absorbing material, in particular selectively sound absorbing material, and includes at least one layer of a foamed or unfoamed material, in particular a thermoplastic elastomer (TPE) or a thermoplastic polyurethane, then an existing noise produced by the product discharge can be effectively damped or can be damped selectively. Very favorable results can be achieved with TPE plastics, such as Evoprene.RTM., Santoprene.RTM., Vyram.RTM., and Hyrtel.RTM.. These plastics can be used to produce relatively pleasant sounds for hair spray and hair foam. Hydrocerol.RTM. is suitable as a foaming agent for the TPE plastic. [0016] When there are several layers of sound absorbing material, several layer combinations are suitable for laying an inner layer against another layer. The inner layer adjoins the product dispensing conduit, e.g. the spray conduit or the foam conduit. The additional layer rests directly against the outside of the inner layer. Favorable acoustic results are achieved with the following inner layer/other layer pairings: 0.5 to 1 mm unfoamed material/1 to 5 mm foam; 1 mm unfoamed/1 to 3 unfoamed; 0.5 to 5 mm foam/1 to 3 mm unfoamed; 1 mm unfoamed PP (polypropylene)/5 mm foam; 1 mm unfoamed PP/1 mm unfoamed, as well as with analogous combinations of analogous materials. If a number of frequency ranges are to be influenced, then a number of layers with corresponding properties can be combined with one another. [0017] Favorable results are also achieved if the outer layer is sealed in relation to the outside by means of a film. This then corresponds to a closed-cell foam. The function of the film can also be performed by a film-like, smooth, and unfoamed boundary layer produced on a mold wall. In TPU foam parts, boundary layers are produced against the mold wall automatically during forming and are between 0.2 and 1.0 mm thick. [0018] If the noise damper is a spiral disposed around a spray conduit, then this damper produces a selective, pleasant change in the spraying sound. Suitable materials for the spiral are those, which have a relatively high mechanical inherent loss factor and a relatively low flexural strength, e.g. corrugated paper and tissue paper. These materials are also very inexpensive. [0019] If a button on a cap that can be slid onto the container is provided as a discharge device, the button acts mechanically on the wall of the spray conduit, and the wall acts mechanically on a stem of the container, then when the button is depressed to dispense the product, the wall and the stem are also depressed so that the container valve disposed underneath the stem opens and the product flows out. The valve can be an aerosol valve. However, it can also be part of a spray pump so that depressing the button produces a spray burst. [0020] If the material of the spray conduit is harder or softer than the material of a sounding rib, then a sound can be changed solely by means of this difference in hardness. [0021] If a stiffening rib is provided on the spray conduit, then the oscillation frequency of the spray conduit is decreased as a result. [0022] The harder and more rigid the spray conduit is designed to be, the more difficult it can be to set it into oscillation by means of mechanical excitation. It is immaterial whether the excitation is permanent or singular. The stiffening by means of additional ribs also produces a greater component surface area. If the surface area of a component is greater, then the oscillation energy is distributed over this area. The overall oscillatory area is reduced by stiffening and the frequency of the oscillation is increased. Consequently, the sound pressure level of a component with this increased surface area is less than one without the stiffening rib. Furthermore, a stiffening rib also represents a reflector against which oscillations are reflected. Continue reading about Container... Full patent description for Container Brief Patent Description - Full Patent Description - Patent Application Claims Click on the above for other options relating to this Container patent application. ###  How KEYWORD MONITOR works... a FREE service from FreshPatents1. Sign up (takes 30 seconds). 2. Fill in the keywords to be monitored. 3. Each week you receive an email with patent applications related to your keywords. Start now! - Receive info on patent apps like Container or other areas of interest. ### Previous Patent Application: Pump device for fluid dispenser Next Patent Application: Alternative flexible gate restrictors Industry Class: Dispensing ### FreshPatents.com Support Thank you for viewing the Container patent info. 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