The present invention relates to a dispenser for dispensing a bar of solid product, and to a corresponding bar of solid product.

Several different types of solid products are dispensed via dispensers that allow progressive advancement of the solid product through the dispenser. For example, a bar of deodorant may be dispensed from a dispenser upon rotation of a component of the dispenser. This allows only the necessary amount of product to be exposed from the dispenser, to allow access by the user (e.g. to apply the product to their skin). Other similar mechanisms are known for solid products such as glue in the form of a ‘glue stick’.

However, these dispensers suffer from several problems. For example, these dispensers have a negative environmental impact as they often require one or more disposable parts that are often manufactured from plastic. In the case of a glue stick, the entirety of the stick may be thrown away after use. In the case of a deodorant dispenser, the entire dispenser may be thrown away. Alternatively, the deodorant may be attached to a platform that advances through the dispenser. Once the deodorant has been consumed, the platform is thrown away. The platform may also contain remnants of deodorant. Such existing dispensers are therefore wasteful as they contain disposable components and do not allow for consumption of the entirety of the product.

Refillable systems that aim to rectify these issues often require complex mechanisms to allow the system to be reset after the product has been dispensed. Furthermore, since the product needs to be secured in some way to the mechanism, it is generally not possible for the user to consume all of the product.

Furthermore, these dispensers, refillable or otherwise, are not convenient for the user. The dispensers may contain only one bar at a time, meaning that a user may finish a bar without having a second bar available to use. In addition, the bars may often be complex to manufacture, with various weak points in the body of the bar due to channels, ribs, or other features that are required in the surface to allow dispensing of the bar. The present invention seeks to overcome or mitigate some or all of the above- mentioned deficiencies of prior dispensers.

Summary of the Invention

According to a first aspect of the present invention, there is provided a dispenser for dispensing a bar of soft-solid product as defined in claim 1.

The dispenser comprises a sleeve configured to receive the bar along a longitudinal axis of the sleeve. The dispenser further comprises an opening located at an end of the dispenser and arranged to dispense the bar from the sleeve. The dispenser further comprises an advancement member comprising one or more projections. The one or more projections are configured to engage directly with a peripheral surface of the bar. The one or more projections are configured to, upon movement of the advancement member relative to the sleeve, deform the peripheral surface of the bar to form one or more grooves and apply, via the grooves, a force to the bar that advances the bar along the longitudinal axis so as to dispense the bar from the opening.

The term ‘bar’ is used herein to refer to a quantity of product formed into a single monobloc form. The term ‘bar’ is not intended to place a limitation on the particular shape or dimensions of the product, other than that the bar is capable of being received by a sleeve.

The bar of solid product may be a bar of soft-solid product. That is, the product may have a hardness that is sufficient to retain its form when it is exposed to little or no external pressure (i.e. substantially only ambient atmospheric pressure) and/or sufficient to permit transfer of force and/or torque from the dispenser to the bar, but that is capable of being deformed under application of relatively small external pressures. Examples of soft-solid products are discussed in detail herein but may include, for example, deodorants or soaps.

However, the bar of solid product need not be a soft-solid. Alternatively, the advancing member of the dispenser may be configured so as to deform the peripheral surface of a bar of a solid product that is not a soft-solid. For example, the advancing member may be reinforced and/or sharpened so that it can deform (e.g. cut) a solid product with a greater hardness than a soft-solid. For example, the solid product may be formed from wood, and the advancing member may comprise one or more sharpened projections configured to cut into the wood.

The term ‘peripheral surface’ is used herein to refer to an external surface of the bar that extends circumferentially around the bar and is enclosed by the sleeve. The term is used in contrast to a ‘terminal surface’ of the bar, which refers to an external surface of the bar that is located at a terminal end of the bar and would be, in use, exposed by the opening of the dispenser to allow the bar to be accessed by a user (e.g. to apply deodorant or soap to the skin).

Advantageously, the dispenser engages directly with the peripheral surface of the bar of solid product. This removes the requirement for an intermediate component that allows the bar to be advanced through the dispenser. For example, in known dispensers of deodorant, the product is advanced by a movable platform at one of the terminal surfaces of the bar. The platform comprises an engagement surface, such as a thread, that couples to a component on the dispenser to allow the bar to be advanced. These platforms are usually made of plastic and enclose at least a portion of the terminal end of the bar. At the end of use of the bar, the platform is disposed of. This leads to additional plastic (or other) waste and furthermore leads to waste of the product, which may still be enclosed within the platform but is inaccessible for consumption by the user. By engaging directly with the peripheral surface of the bar, no intermediate disposable component, such as a platform, is required. This both reduces waste caused by disposable component, and also reduces wastage of the solid product itself, by allowing all of the bar to be dispensed. This, in turn, has both environmental benefits and cost-saving benefits for the user.

Advantageously, the projections of the advancement member deform the surface to create grooves directly in the bar itself, during the dispensing process. The deforming may comprise cutting and/or compressing the peripheral surface by the projections. That is, the projections deform the peripheral surface to create grooves while, simultaneously, advancing the bar through the dispenser. The grooves thereby allow the advancement member to advance the bar by providing a gripping surface for the projections to apply the force to the bar. This avoids the need to form such grooves at the time of manufacturing the bar. In this regard, the advancement member may be considered to provide a self-tapping mechanism in the dispenser, as it does not require any existing groove, track, thread, or other formation to be present in the bar. The advantages of this are three-fold.

Firstly, the bar is simple to manufacture. The bar can be formed by a simple manufacturing process, such as moulding or extrusion, that may not be possible with a threaded bar, which may require subsequent processing to create grooves. Alternatively, a bar with preformed grooves may require more complex moulds to be manufactured. The manufacturing of preformed grooves also necessitates small margins of error because the grooves must be arranged to engage directly with the projections on the dispenser. This adds further complexity to the manufacturing of the bars. Given the bars are likely to manufactured at much larger volume than the dispensers, such complexity can introduce considerable further cost and time into the manufacturing process.

Secondly, the bar is more durable and less prone to breakage. A bar with preformed grooves has both existing weaknesses in its surface (i.e. the grooves) and also has corresponding protruding portions (i.e. the portions of the surface that are not grooves). The weakness caused by the grooves themselves may make the bar more prone to snapping or breakage in use or in transit. The protruding portions formed between the grooves are also more prone to breakage when in use by the user (i.e. during installation into the dispenser) or during transit. In other words, the groove may be worn away or compressed into the bar, rendering the bar unusable in the dispenser.

Thirdly, the bar is easier to install into the dispenser. For a bar with preformed grooves, the user must align the grooves with the corresponding projections on the dispenser and ensure that the projections are properly engaged. For example, if the projections are a thread, the user must ensure that the thread is aligned correctly with the groove on the bar, otherwise the thread may damage the grooves and cause the bar to be unusable in the dispenser. This, in turn, means that the user does not need to come into physical contact with the bar for as long. This may be particularly advantageous, for example, if the solid product is deodorant or glue or some other material that the user may not wish to touch. In contrast, the dispenser as described herein is able to deform the bar to form grooves during dispensing. The bar therefore does not require any grooves to be formed during manufacture and so may possess a largely smooth outer surface. This reduces the risk of damage to the bar during transit or handling that may cause its function to be compromised (or render it incompatible with the dispenser). This also makes the bar easier to use, as it may simply be inserted into the dispenser without consideration as to how the dispenser will engage with the bar. The insertion is therefore easier and requires less direct manual handling of the bar.

The term ‘groove’ is used herein to refer to an indentation in the peripheral surface of the bar. The term ‘groove’ is not intended to place a limitation on the particular shape or dimensions of the indentation. In particular, the term ‘groove’ does not imply that the indentation in the peripheral surface is elongate. In some examples described herein, the groove is indeed elongate; that is, the length of the groove is greater than the width of the groove. In other examples described herein, however, the groove is not elongate; that is, the length of the groove is substantially equal to the width of the groove. An elongate groove may have a helical or rectangular shape. If the groove has a helical shape, it need not extend through a whole helix turn. A non-elongate groove may have a circular, oval, square or other polygonal shape.

The opening of the dispenser may be an opening of the sleeve itself, or may be located on a different terminal component of the dispenser. In other words, the sleeve may extend directly to the end of the dispenser, and thus the opening is an opening of the sleeve that dispenses the bar. Alternatively, an additional component (such as a collar) may be connected to a terminal end of the sleeve and thus forms an opening of the dispenser that allows the bar to be dispensed from the sleeve via the opening.

In some embodiments, the advancement member is configured for rotation relative to the sleeve. The projections may deform the peripheral surface of the bar upon rotation of the advancement member relative to the sleeve.

The rotation may be about an axis parallel to or perpendicular to the longitudinal axis of the sleeve. For example, the rotation may be perpendicular to the longitudinal axis and the advancement member may be a form of cog or roller that engages with the bar. In particular, the cog or roller may have projections in the form of teeth that engage with the peripheral surface of the bar, allowing the bar to be advanced via rotation of the cog about an axis perpendicular to the longitudinal axis. Such an advancement member may take the form of a rack-and-pinion mechanism, where the teeth deform the peripheral surface of the bar to form a ‘rack’ with multiple grooves. Alternatively, the rotation may be about an axis parallel to the longitudinal axis and, for example, the advancement member may have projections in the form of a thread, as discussed below. An axis parallel to the longitudinal axis may include the longitudinal axis itself. In other words, the rotation may be coaxial with the longitudinal axis.

Alternatively, the advancement member may be configured for longitudinal movement relative to the sleeve. For example, the advancement member may slide relative to the sleeve causing the projections to deform the peripheral surface. Alternatively or additionally, the advancement member may be moveable in radial direction towards and away from the peripheral surface of the bar in order to engage the projections with, and disengage the projections from, the peripheral surface.

In some embodiments, the advancement member is coupled to the sleeve to prevent longitudinal motion of the advancement member relative to the sleeve.

Advantageously, preventing longitudinal motion of the advancement member relative to the sleeve avoids any need to re-set the dispenser when a bar has been fully consumed. In known dispensers that use a movable platform to advance the bar, the longitudinal motion of the platform requires that the dispenser is in some way re-set before the next bar can be dispensed. This may involve inserting a new platform because the previous platform has been expelled from the dispenser, or it may involve retracting an existing platform back into the dispenser such that a new bar can be inserted. By preventing longitudinal motion of the advancement member, the advancement of the bar may be caused solely by rotation, which is an inherently cyclical movement that does not require re-setting.

In some embodiments, the advancement member comprises a thread that engages directly with the peripheral surface of the bar to deform the peripheral surface of the bar to form a corresponding groove in the surface of the bar through which the thread travels. Advantageously, a thread provides a mechanism by which a groove can be formed in the bar, and by which a force can be applied to the bar in order to advance the bar along the longitudinal axis. The thread provides a means to convert rotational movement of the advancement mechanism to longitudinal movement of the bar relative to the sleeve. The thread is therefore an example mechanism for providing the aforementioned advantages associated with the bar lacking a preformed groove.

The thread may be configured to rotate about an axis that is parallel to the longitudinal axis of the sleeve. The axis of the thread may be coaxial with the longitudinal axis. For example, the thread may be disposed on a collar, as described below. However, the axis need not be coaxial. For example, the thread may be provided in the form of a worm screw that is disposed adjacent to the longitudinal axis of the sleeve. In other words, the advancement member may comprise a worm screw that has an axis that is radially offset relative to the longitudinal axis of the sleeve, the worm screw comprising the thread on its external surface. At least a portion of the external surface of the worm screw may be accessible from outside of the sleeve.

In some embodiments, the thread comprises a tapered start.

Advantageously, a tapered start improves the ability of the thread to initially engage with the bar. In other words, the tapered start enables the thread to cut into the bar when the thread initially engages the bar. This reduces the resistance experienced by the user when initially rotating the thread to engage the bar.

In some embodiments, the thread comprises two or more starts.

Advantageously, providing more than one start to the thread provides multiple contact points from which the thread can deform the bar. This improves the deforming capabilities of the thread and ensures a stronger, more stable grip on the bar during the initial engagement between the thread and the bar.

In some embodiments, the advancement member comprises a collar disposed coaxially with the sleeve. The collar may comprise the thread on an inner surface of the collar. Advantageously, the use of a collar as the advancement member renders the dispenser simple and cheap to manufacture, easy to use, and less prone to breakage. More specifically, a dispenser with a sleeve and a collar, the collar having an internal thread, allows the dispenser to substantially comprise only these two components. That is, the dispenser comprises the sleeve for receiving the bar and the collar for forming the groove and advancing the bar through the dispenser. The dispenser therefore comprises only two connected components (i.e. the collar and the sleeve) and a single movable joint (to enable the relative rotation of the collar and the sleeve). This renders the dispenser simple and cheap to manufacture (because only two components are required), easy to use (because there is only a single movement required to operate the device), and less prone to breakage (as there is only a single moving mechanism). Furthermore, the simple geometry and construction of the dispenser allows the dispenser to be manufactured via simple processes or using alternative materials that are more sustainable or with reduced environmental impact.

In some embodiments, the sleeve comprises an inner surface having a keying feature configured to engage with a corresponding keying feature of the bar so as to permit force transfer from the sleeve to the bar.

Advantageously, the presence of a keying feature allows the user to impart torque on the bar without directly contacting a surface of the bar. In other words, the user can move the sleeve relative to the advancement member to transfer force to the bar. This may be particularly advantageous, for example, if the solid product is deodorant or glue or some other material that the user may not wish to touch. The force transfer may comprise torque transfer in the case of relative rotation between the sleeve and the bar.

For example, the keying feature may comprise a spline, projection, key, plug, or any other male keying feature configured to configured to engage with a corresponding channel, recess, keyway, socket, or other female keying feature of the bar, respectively. Alternatively, the sleeve may comprise the female keying feature and the bar may comprise the male keying feature. In some embodiments, the keying feature of the sleeve comprises a profile of the inner surface having a polygonal shape configured to engage with the peripheral surface of the bar having a corresponding polygonal cross-section.

Advantageously, the keying feature may merely be corresponding shapes of the crosssection of the inner surface of the sleeve and the peripheral surface of the bar, rather than any form of male-female arrangement. This allows both the bar and the dispenser to be manufactured without any protruding features that would introduce weakness into the bar or the dispenser. For example, a bar or dispenser that is manufactured with a plug or spline may suffer from weakness because the plug or spline may break during relative movement of the sleeve and the advancement member, thereby rendering the sleeve unable to impart force onto the bar. Instead, by having corresponding shapes, the force (e.g. torque) is transferred over substantially the entire inner surface of the sleeve and the outer surface of the bar, thereby reducing the likelihood of damage to either. Furthermore, this arrangement provides more contact points between the sleeve and the bar, providing additional points to transfer the force in case one of the contact points fails or breaks (e.g. if a corner, edge, or vertex of either the dispenser or the bar is worn away due to prolonged or intense usage).

The polygonal shape may be substantially any polygonal (i.e. multi-sided) shape, including a semi-circle, triangle, quadrilateral (e.g. square or rectangle), pentagon, hexagon, heptagon, octagon, etc. It will be appreciated that other forms of polygon may be used, such as a rectangle with one or more curved sides. The polygonal shape ensures that force (e.g. torque) may be imparted due to the interaction between the sides and vertices of the corresponding cross-sections. It will furthermore be appreciated that the shape may be a shape other than polygonal. For example, the shape may be elliptical.

Preferably, the polygonal shape is a hexagon. In selecting a polygonal shape for embodiments in which the sleeve transfers torque to the bar (i.e. the sleeve and the advancement member are relatively rotated), there is a balance to be struck between providing adequate engagement (or “purchase”) between the sleeve and the bar and allowing a strong, deep, continuous groove to be formed by the projections. Increasing the number of vertices of the polygon increases the continuity of the groove (because there are more contact points between a thread and the bar) but reduces the purchase between the sleeve and the bar (because the polygon tends towards a circular crosssection). Decreasing the number of vertices of the polygon (albeit not to zero) decreases the continuity of the groove (because there are fewer contact points between a thread and the bar) but increases the purchase between the sleeve and the bar (because the polygon tends towards a linear lever cross-section). It is an appreciation of the Applicant that a hexagon provides an adequate balance between these two competing effects.

Furthermore, a hexagonal cross-section allows a plurality of the bars to tessellate when stacked together. This improves transport as the plurality of bars occupies less space compared to bars with a cross-section that does not tessellate. This allows the transportation of less empty space (or air) between the bars when being shipped. This saves transportation costs and is more environmentally friendly.

In some embodiments, the opening is a first opening at a dispensing end of the dispenser, and the dispenser further comprises a second opening located at a receiving end of the dispenser opposite to the dispensing end and configured to receive the bar into the sleeve.

Advantageously, the first opening and the second opening are disposed at opposing ends of the dispenser, along the longitudinal axis. This allows one opening (i.e. the first opening) to be used for dispensing the bar, and the other opening (i.e. the second opening) to be used for receiving the bar. In turn, this allows the dispenser to provide continuous dispensing without any break or delay between bars. In other words, a first bar is fed through the second opening and is advanced, via the advancement mechanism, towards and out from the first opening, and then a second bar can be fed through the second opening before the first bar has finished, allowing continuous dispensing of the solid product through the dispenser. This is in contrast to existing dispensers of, for example, deodorant, which comprise only a single opening through which the deodorant is dispensed and (if the dispenser is refillable) also received. Therefore, a user has to wait until the first bar is fully consumed before inserting a second bar into the dispenser. While, in practice, a user may actually only be able to consume a single bar of product at a time, this may be particularly advantageous if a user wishes to prepare the dispenser for long-term use, for example, while on holiday. That is, the user may, prior to going on holiday, insert a second bar into the dispenser before the first bar is fully consumed, such that the second bar is available for use as soon as the first bar is consumed.

Furthermore, this arrangement of openings makes the dispenser easier to refill because the user does not need to retract or reset any mechanism to allow the bar to be dispensed and received via a single opening. In many existing refillable dispensers, the user must insert the bar through the single opening and then retract the mechanism to drive the bar towards a “starting position” in which the bar is fully contained by the dispenser. In contrast, the present dispenser allows the bar to be only partially inserted via the receiving end and the bar will be progressively received by the dispenser as the product is used.

It will be appreciated that the first and second openings may be located on different components of the dispenser. For example, in embodiments comprising a worm screw, the first and second openings may be disposed at opposing terminal ends of the sleeve. Alternatively, in embodiments comprising a collar, the first opening may be disposed at a terminal end of the sleeve and the second opening may be disposed at a terminal end of the collar that is at an opposite end of the dispenser to the terminal end of the sleeve.

In some embodiments, the advancement member comprises a thread that engages directly with the peripheral surface of the bar to deform the peripheral surface of the bar to form a corresponding groove in the surface of the bar through which the thread travels, and the thread is disposed adjacent to the dispensing end. The keying feature may be disposed adjacent to the receiving end of the dispenser.

Advantageously, such an arrangement ensures that, when the bar is inserted into the dispenser, the keying feature engages with the bar before the bar engages with the thread. This ensures that the bar is able to receive force (e.g. torque) from the sleeve before being engaged directly with the thread. In turn, this means that the bar can be inserted into the receiving end without the user needing to impart a rotational or screwing motion directly to the bar. In other words, the user can simply place the bar into the dispenser, rather than needing to screw the bar into the thread using their hands. As already mentioned, this is advantageous as it means the user does not need to engage in prolonged manual handling of the bar. The thread may comprise any of the features, advantages, or characteristics of the thread already described above.

In some embodiments, the dispenser further comprises a cap for securing over the second opening. The cap may comprise a resilient member for insertion into the second opening. The resilient member may be biased away from the cap so as to push the bar towards the first opening when in use.

Advantageously, the cap secures the bar into the dispenser after insertion so that the bar does not fall from the dispenser. This is particularly advantageous immediately after insertion of the bar into the dispenser, and before the bar has engaged with any projections (e.g. a thread) of the advancement member. At this stage, the bar may be freely movable in a longitudinal direction in the dispenser and so the presence of the cap prevents the bar falling from the dispenser.

Advantageously, the presence of the optional resilient member provides a means for biasing the bar towards the first opening once the bar has been inserted into the dispenser. This is advantageous at the initial stage to assist the bar in engaging with the projection of the advancement member. For example, in the case of a thread, the bar may not initially engage with the thread and so the rotation of the sleeve and the collar may not necessarily engage the thread with the peripheral surface of the bar without a longitudinal force biasing the bar into the thread. Therefore, the resilient member advantageously provides such a bias so that, upon relative rotation of the collar and the sleeve, the thread engages (e.g. bites or cuts) into the bar so as to begin forming a groove. However, such a resilient member is not essential as the longitudinal force may be provided by other means. For example, the user may provide the force themselves by pressing directly on the bar during insertion, or the user may angle the first opening downwards towards the ground such that gravity causes the bar to press against the thread.

The resilient member may comprise, for example, a spring, a biased arm, or a resilient dome. According to a second aspect of the present invention, there is provided a bar of solid product as defined in claim 13. The bar of solid product is for insertion into a dispenser as described above and herein.

By the bar being ‘for insertion into a dispenser as described above and herein’, it is meant that the bar is appropriately dimensioned to fit into such a dispenser and that the bar is formed of a suitable solid product that provides a peripheral surface that is deformable by the projections of the dispenser.

In some embodiments, the peripheral surface of the bar comprises a keying feature configured to engage with a corresponding keying feature of an inner surface of the sleeve of the dispenser so as to permit force transfer from the sleeve to the bar.

The advantages, characteristics, and optional variations of the keying feature of the sleeve and the corresponding keying feature of the bar are discussed above with reference to the keying feature of the sleeve and equivalently apply to the corresponding keying feature of the bar. The force transfer may comprise torque transfer in the case of relative rotation between the sleeve and the bar.

According to a third aspect of the present invention, there is provided a bar of solid product as defined in claim 15.

The bar is configured for insertion into a sleeve of a dispenser. The bar has a peripheral surface comprising a keying feature. The keying feature is configured to engage with a corresponding keying feature of an inner surface of the sleeve so as to permit force transfer from the sleeve to the bar.

As above, the force transfer may comprise torque transfer in the case of relative rotation between the sleeve and the bar.

The bar may have a prismatic shape. In other words, the bar may comprise a two- dimensional shaped cross-section that is projected into a third dimension, such that the bar has a substantially consistent cross-section along its entire length in the third dimension. The cross-section may be polygonal (either regular or irregular), or may be circular. In some embodiments, the solid product has a hardness that permits deformation of the peripheral surface upon application of force by one or more projections of the dispenser.

In some embodiments, the solid product has a hardness that is sufficient to permit transfer of force and/or torque from one or more projections of the dispenser to the bar.

Advantageously, the hardness of the bar may be chosen to be sufficiently soft to allow the projections of a dispenser to deform the peripheral surface to form grooves, but sufficiently hard to allow force or torque to be transferred from the projections as they are formed. A hardness that is too low would prevent the transfer of force as the grooves would deteriorate or the bar would break upon the application of force. A hardness that is too high would prevent the projections of the dispenser from deforming the peripheral surface and creating the grooves in the bar.

For example, the hardness of the bar may be measurable on the Shore A or Shore 00 hardness scales. As these scales are associated with materials typically understood to be “soft”, a hardness on these scales would be an appropriate choice for the solid product. However, it will be understood that other hardness measures may be used.

In some embodiments, the keying feature comprises the peripheral surface having a polygonal cross-section configured to engage with a corresponding polygonal profile of an inner surface of the sleeve.

The advantages, characteristics, and optional variations of the polygonal crosssections (including, specifically, a hexagonal cross-section) are discussed above with reference to the polygonal cross-section of the sleeve and equivalently apply to the polygonal cross-section of the bar.

In some embodiments, the bar further comprises a recess on a first end of the bar and a protrusion on a second end of the bar. The recess and the protrusion may be respectively shaped to form a keyed configuration that, when the protrusion of a first bar is inserted into the recess of a second bar, permits torque transfer between the first bar and the second bar. Advantageously, this arrangement of protrusion and recess allows torque to be transferred from one bar to another bar when the protrusion of one bar is inserted into the recess of another. This allows continuous feeding of the bars without prolonged manual handling by the user. In other words, merely inserting a second bar into the dispenser allows the second bar to rotationally couple to a first bar already present in the dispenser. Rotation of the first bar or the second bar causes the other bar to rotate, and thereby continuously feeds both bars as they functionally operate as a single bar.

This may be particularly advantageous in embodiments comprising a collar. In such cases, when the first bar has been almost fully consumed, the length of the first bar may have reduced such that the first bar no longer extends from the collar into the sleeve. As such, while the first bar is still engaged by the thread, the first bar is no longer keyed with the keying feature in the sleeve. Therefore, relative rotation of the sleeve and the collar may no longer cause the first bar to be advanced through the dispenser. However, upon insertion of a second bar into the sleeve, the torque applied to the second bar by the sleeve will be transferred to the first bar by engagement of the recess and the protrusion. This helps to retain the remaining portion of the first bar within the dispenser and allows the first bar to continue to be advanced through the dispenser even though there is only very little of the first bar remaining. In other words, the first bar is advanced (and consumed) until the peripheral surface no longer engage with the collar (or thread). At this point, the recess of the second bar helps to retain the first bar and ensure it can be purposefully used by the user. Therefore, this provides cost-saving and environmental advantages as the user is able to consume the entirety of each bar, without needing to throw away any unusable part of the bar.

In some embodiments, the solid product is a deodorant or a soap.

However, other solid products may be used. Such solid products may be from various fields, such as: beauty and personal care (e.g. deodorant, soap, make-up, shaving products); crafts and design (e.g. glue, paint, wax crayons, graphite); household cleaning products (e.g. dish soap, laundry detergent); or food (e.g. cheese, chocolate, condiments). Other fields and products will also be apparent to the skilled person. Advantageously, it will be understood that, by consistent design of the bar, there may be no need to adapt the dispenser in order to dispense different solid products. For example, a single dispenser may be able to dispense multiple different types of solid products, such as deodorant, soap, or shaving products, simply by inserting the relevant type of bar.

The solid product, in general, may comprise a material that is abradable. That is, the material may be worn away (and deposited) upon abrasion against another surface. This is particularly advantageous in the case of a deodorant. Alternatively or in addition, the solid product may be water soluble. That is, the material may dissolve upon application of water. This is particularly advantageous in the case of a soap.

According to a fourth aspect there is provided an apparatus as defined in claim 21.

The apparatus comprises a dispenser as described herein. The dispenser contains a bar as described herein. The bar is disposed within the sleeve.

In some embodiments, the bar has a length that is less than a length of the sleeve.

In some embodiments, the bar has a length that is between one half and two thirds of the length of the sleeve.

Advantageously, the bar being shorter than the sleeve (including being between half and two thirds of the length) enables multiple bars to be inserted into the dispenser without protruding from the end of the dispenser. This allows multiple bars to be consumed without need for replacement. This may be advantageous if the user intends to travel with the dispenser without carrying additional bars, or if the user may need to use multiple different solid products in sequence.

In some embodiments, the bar is oriented in the dispenser such that the first end of the bar protrudes from a first opening of the dispenser and the second end of the bar protrudes towards a second opening of the dispenser that is opposite to the first opening.

Advantageously, this arrangement means that the end of the bar comprising the recess is consumed by the user prior to the consumption of the remainder of the bar. This has the advantage that a peripheral portion of the bar that surrounds the recess is supported by the remainder of the bar during use, ensuring structural integrity of the bar in use. In contrast, if the bar is used in the other direction, the recess will be accessed towards the end of the use of the bar. As the user approaches this part of the bar, if no other bar is inserted into the recess, the bar will begin to form an annular shape which will be thin and prone to breakage when being consumed by the user.

The features, characteristics, and advantages of each of the aspects may be combined with any or all of the other aspects of the invention. More specifically, any features, characteristics, or advantages of the dispenser may be equivalently applied, mutatis mutandis, to the bar, and vice versa.

Brief Description of the Figures

Exemplary embodiments of the present invention will now be described with reference to the Figures, in which:

Figure 1 is a perspective view of a dispenser containing a bar of solid product;

Figure 2 is a perspective view of a bar of solid product;

Figure 3A is a perspective view of a sleeve and a collar of the dispenser of Figure 1 ;

Figure 3B is a top plan view of the sleeve and the collar of Figure 3A;

Figure 4A is a side cross-sectional view of a dispenser containing a new bar of solid product;

Figure 4B is a side cross-sectional view of a dispenser containing a partially-dispensed bar of solid product;

Figure 4C is a side cross-sectional view of a dispenser containing a mostly-dispensed bar of solid product;

Figure 4D is a side cross-sectional view of the dispenser of Figure 4C further comprising an additional bar of solid product;

Figure 5 is a perspective view of an alternative dispenser containing a bar of solid product;

Figure 6A is a perspective view of another example of a dispenser containing a bar of solid product;

Figure 6B is a perspective view of the dispenser of Figure 6A with its sleeve removed;

Figure 6C is a front view of the dispenser of Figure 6A with its sleeve removed;

Figure 6D is a side view of the dispenser of Figure 6A with its sleeve removed; Figure 7A is a perspective view of a variation on the dispenser of Figure 6A; and

Figure 7B is a perspective view of the dispenser of Figure 7A with its sleeve removed.

Detailed Description

Figure 1 depicts a dispenser 100 for dispensing a bar 200 of solid product. The dispenser 100 has a dispensing end 102 for dispensing the bar 200 and a receiving end 104 for receiving the bar 200. The receiving end 104 is located at the opposite end of the dispenser 100 to the dispensing end 102.

The dispenser 100 comprises a sleeve 110 configured to receive the bar 200 along a longitudinal axis (shown as dashed line L) of the sleeve 110. The dispenser 100 comprises a first opening 112 located at the dispensing end 102 of the dispenser 100. The first opening 112 is arranged to dispense the bar 200 from the sleeve 110. In the depicted embodiment, the dispenser 100 further comprises a second opening 114 located at the receiving end 104. The second opening 114 is configured to receive the bar 200 into the sleeve 110. It will be appreciated that, alternatively, the dispenser 100 may comprise only a single opening 112 that both receives and dispenses the bar 200.

The dispenser 100 further comprises an advancement member provided, in Figure 1, by a collar 120. In this particular arrangement, the collar 120 comprises the first opening 112 for dispensing the bar 200 and the sleeve 110 comprises the second opening 114 for receiving the bar. The collar 120 is disposed coaxially with the sleeve 110 and is configured for rotation relative to the sleeve 110.

The dispenser 100 further comprises a lid 130 and a cap 140. The lid 130 is for securing over the first opening 112 of the dispenser 100 when not in use to prevent accidental damage to or removal of the bar 200. The cap 140 is for securing over the second opening 114 and achieves a similar purpose to the lid 130. In addition, the cap 140 may comprise a resilient member (not shown) for insertion into the second opening 114. The resilient member is biased away from the cap, and into the sleeve 110, so as to push the bar 200 towards the first opening 112. It will be appreciated that the dispenser 100 may comprise a lid 130, a cap 140, both, or neither. As shown in Figure 1, the dispenser 100 contains a bar 200 of solid product. The bar 200 in Figure 1 has already been partially advanced through the dispenser 100 such that a portion of the bar 200 protrudes from the first opening 112. It can be seen that the dispensed portion of the bar 200 comprises grooves 220 on the peripheral surface 210 of the bar 200. The creation of the grooves 220 will be described in detail below.

The bar 200 is shown in detail in Figure 2. The bar 200 is formed in a substantially prismatic shape. That is, the bar 200 comprises a substantially constant cross-section along the entire length of the bar. The bar 200 thereby comprises a peripheral surface 210 that extends circumferentially and extends along the length of the bar. In this context, by ‘circumferentially’, it is meant that the surface 210 extends around the periphery of the bar, but it does not necessarily imply that the surface has a circular cross-section. The peripheral surface 210 extends between a first terminal surface 212 at a first end and a second terminal surface 214 at a second of the bar 200.

In the depicted example, the bar 200 comprises a polygonal cross-section that is, in this case, hexagonal. However, other shaped cross-sections are possible. It will be appreciated that, in the depicted embodiment, the bar 200 comprises rounded corners which, formally, provide the peripheral surface 210 with twelve faces. However, these corners act as vertices of the bar 200 and so the bar 200 is considered to be hexagonal in cross-section. The bar 200 need not have rounded corners in other embodiments.

The first end comprises a recess 216 and the second end comprises a protrusion 218. The recess 216 and the protrusion 218 have complementary shapes (i.e. hexagonal, in this case) to form a keyed configuration between the recess 216 and the protrusion 218. As described in further detail below, the keyed configuration allows the transfer of torque from one bar to another when the protrusion 218 of one bar is inserted into the recess 216 of the other. While the recess 216 and the protrusion 218 are depicted to have a cross-section shaped the same as the bar itself (i.e. hexagonal), it will be appreciated that different keying configurations may be possible. For example, the recess 216 and protrusion 218 may have complementary cross-sectional shapes that are not the same as the cross-sectional shape of the rest of the bar 200.

The bar 200 further comprises a marking 222 that may be perceived by the user either visually or via touch. The marking 222, in this instance, takes the form of an arrow and provides an indication to the user of the direction that the bar 200 should be inserted into the dispenser 100. It will be appreciated that other markings (such as branding, instructions, logos, or other symbols) may be present, or no markings may be used. The marking 222 may be formed by embossing, debossing, engraving, or any other suitable marking technique.

Turning to Figures 3A and 3B, the construction of the dispenser 200 will now be described in greater detail. Figures 3A and 3B depict the sleeve 110 and the collar 120 separately. The sleeve 110 comprises a neck portion 117 having a narrower crosssection for being received by the collar 120. Advantageously, the neck portion 117 extends through the majority of the collar 120. This allows the sleeve 112 to be rotationally coupled to the bar 200 (i.e. to impart torque) until the bar 200 has advanced almost entirely through the collar 120.

As can be seen from these Figures, the sleeve 110 comprises a keying feature in the form of an inner surface 116 having a profile that has a polygonal shape configured to engage with the peripheral surface 210 of the bar 200. In the depicted embodiment, the inner surface 116 has a profile with a hexagonal cross-section for keying with the corresponding hexagonal cross-section of the bar 200, as depicted in Figure 2. Advantageously, this keying feature allows the transfer of torque from the sleeve 110 to the bar 200, as described in further detail below.

The collar 120, as an advancement member, comprises one or more (in this case, two) projections in the form of a thread 122 on an inner surface of the collar 120. The thread 122 comprises two starts 124a, 124b. The starts 124a, 124b are tapered to improve the initial engagement between the thread 122 and the peripheral surface 210 of the bar 200.

As can be seen from Figure 3A, when the dispenser 100 is assembled, the collar 120 is secured to the sleeve 110 via a coupling feature 118, which in this embodiment comprises a circumferential channel 118a disposed on an outer surface of the sleeve 110 and configured to receive a circumferential rib (not visible) disposed on an inner surface of the collar 112. Such a coupling feature 118 permits relative rotation of the sleeve 110 and the collar 120, but prevents longitudinal motion of the collar 120 relative to the sleeve 110. It will be appreciated that other coupling features 118 are possible to provide such a coupling.

The operation of the dispenser 100 will now be described with reference to Figures 4A- 4D, which show a cross-sectional view of the dispenser 100 as a bar 200 is received and dispensed through the dispenser 100.

Figure 4A shows an initial arrangement in which a bar 200 has been inserted into the sleeve 110 of the dispenser 100. The thread 122 has not yet engaged with the peripheral surface 210 of the bar 200 and so the bar 200 is free to enter or exit the dispenser 100 via the second opening 114 at the receiving end 104. To begin the dispensing process, the thread 122 needs to engage with the bar 200 so as to form a groove 220. Prior to the engagement, the bar 200 may be biased, by the user, towards the thread 122 such that the thread 122 can engage with the bar 200. This bias may be provided by the user, for example, by pressing against the terminal surface 214. Alternatively, the user may tilt the dispenser 100 to point the dispensing end 102 downwards, so that gravity biases the bar 200 towards the thread 122. Alternatively, the cap 140 may be secured to the receiving end 104 and the cap 140 may abut (via a resilient member or otherwise) against the bar 200 in order to bias the bar 200 towards the thread 122.

From here, the user rotates the collar 120 relative to the sleeve 110. The hexagonal cross-section of the sleeve 110 and the corresponding hexagonal cross-section of the bar 200 (i.e. the keying features) cause the relative rotation of the sleeve 110 to transfer torque to the bar 200, causing the bar 200 to rotate relative to the collar 120, and thus relative to the thread 122. This causes the thread 122 to ‘cut’ or ‘bite’ into the peripheral surface 210 of the bar 200. The thread 122 deforms the peripheral surface 210 and forms one or more grooves 220 in the peripheral surface 210, through which the thread 122 travels as the sleeve 110 is continued to be rotated. This causes bar 200 to be dispensed from the dispenser 100, as shown in Figure 4B. For ease of reference, the cross-section of the bar 200 depicts the bar as hollow such that the thread 122 can be seen forming a groove 220 on the far side of the bar 200. However, in practice, the bar 200 may not be hollow and so the far side would not usually be visible in cross-section. From this position, the user can utilise the bar 200 of solid product. For example, if the solid product is a deodorant or soap, the user can apply the bar 200 to their skin to use the product. Alternatively, if the solid product is glue or paint, the user can apply the bar 200 to a material to deposit glue or paint to the material. When the user has finished applying the product, the user can place the lid 130 over the dispensing end 102 to protect the bar 200. Before or after placing the lid 130, the user may rotate the collar 120 relative to the sleeve 110 in an opposite direction to cause the thread 122 to travel along the grooves 220 in an opposite direction to retract the bar 200 back into the sleeve 110.

As the user applies the product to a surface, the bar 200 is abraded and loses material from the first terminal surface 212. Over time, the user will need to advance the bar 200 further through the dispenser 100 in order to expose more of the bar 200 from the dispenser 100. To do so, the user continues to rotate the collar 120 relative to the sleeve 110 to advance the bar 110, as shown in Figure 4C.

However, once the bar 200 reaches the position shown in Figure 4C, the bar 200 has now progressed almost entirely through the dispenser 100 such that there is no longer any portion of the peripheral surface 210 in contact with the inner surface 116 of the sleeve 110. Advantageously, the sleeve 110 and collar 120 are dimensioned to reduce the remaining portion such that there is very little un-dispensed bar 200 remaining in the dispenser 100. However, a means is provided for the user to consume the remainder of the bar 200.

Specifically, the bar 200 comprises a protrusion 218 that extends into the confines of the sleeve 110. Therefore, as shown in Figure 4D, the user can insert a new bar 300 via the receiving end 104 of the dispenser 100. The recess 316 of the new bar receives the protrusion 218 of the bar 200 that is nearly completely dispensed. From here, torque applied to the sleeve 110 is transferred to the new bar 300 as described above, and the torque is further transferred to the bar 200 via the coupling between the recess 316 and the protrusion 218. Not only does this allow the user to advance the remainder of the bar 200 further to use the whole bar, but also it ensures that the new bar 300 is automatically fed into the thread 122 as the bar 200 is consumed. A continuous dispensing mechanism that reduces waste is thereby provided. Figure 5 depicts a dispenser 100’ according to an alternative embodiment. Like numerals are used to refer to like features, and many of the features of the dispenser 100’ are shared with the dispenser 100 already described above. The dispenser 100’ is configured to receive the bar 200’. The primary difference between the dispenser 100’ and the dispenser 100 is that dispenser 100’ does not comprise a threaded collar, but instead comprises one or more (in this case, two) worm screws 120’a, 120’b. The worm screws 120a’, 120’b comprise threads 122’ on their external surface that engage with the peripheral surface of the bar 200’ in much the same way as described above. The worm screws 120’a, 120’b are then accessible, either directly or indirectly, by the user from outside the sleeve 110’. Rotation of the worm screws 120’a, 120’b relative to the sleeve 110’ causes the threads 122’ to deform the peripheral surface of the bar 200’ and progress the bar 200’ through the dispenser.

The dispenser 100’ may further comprise a collar 120’c configured to engage with the worm screws 120’a, 120’b, such that the user does not have to directly touch the worm screws 120’a, 120’b. The collar 120’c may engage with the worm screws 120’a, 120’b via a circumferential rack 121 ’b on the inner surface of the collar 120’c, the rack 121’b being configured to engage with one or more corresponding cogs or pinions 121’a connected to the worm screws 120’a, 120’b. Rotation of the collar 120’c relative to the sleeve 110’ thereby causes rotation of the worm screws 120’a, 120’b by virtue of the rack-and-pinion mechanism provided between the collar 120’c and the worm screws 120’a, 120’b. Alternatively, the dispenser 100’ may not comprise a collar 120’c and the worm screws 120’a, 120’b may be rotated directly by the user.

As shown in Figure 5, the bar 200’ has a rectangular cross-section. It will be appreciated that the bar 200’ could have other cross-sections, such as a square crosssection or any of the other cross-sections discussed above.

Figures 6A to 6D depict a further example of a dispenser 600. The dispenser 600 has a dispensing end 602 for dispensing a bar 650 of solid product and a receiving end 104 for receiving the bar 650, as discussed in connection with the previous examples. The receiving end 604 is located at the opposite end of the dispenser 600 to the dispensing end 602. The bar 650 can be inserted into the dispenser 600 via the receiving end 604, and dispensed from the dispending end, as discussed in relation to the preceding examples. As shown in Figure 6A, the dispenser 600 comprises a sleeve 610, and an opening 612 at the dispensing end 602 through which the bar 650 is dispensed from the sleeve 610. The sleeve 610 supports an advancement member 620. The sleeve 610 is omitted from Figures 6B-6D to allow the advancement member 620 to be seen more clearly.

The advancement member 620 comprises an axle 624 and one or more (in this case, two) gears 622a, 622b. The axle 624 is supported by the sleeve 610, such that the axle 624 can rotate about its longitudinal axis. The gears 622a, 622b are fixed to the axle 624, such that rotation of the axle 624 causes the gears 622a, 622b to rotate. The advancement member 620 may further comprise a knurled portion 626, which helps a user to manipulate and rotate the advancement member 620.

Each gear 622a, 622b comprises a plurality of teeth. The gears 622a, 662b are configured such that their teeth cut into the peripheral surface of the bar 650, thereby creating a plurality of grooves 670 in the bar 650. Rotation of the advancement member 620 in the direction shown by arrow A in Figure 6D causes the gears 622a, 622b to deform the peripheral surface of the bar 650 to form grooves 670. The gears 622a, 622b apply a force to the bar 650, via the grooves 670, which causes the bar 650 to advance along the longitudinal axis of the sleeve 610 and out of the opening 612. The advancement member 620 may optionally comprise a ratchet mechanism (not shown in the drawings) to prevent the bar 650 being pushed back into the opening 612 when the solid product is applied to a surface.

The grooves 670 are elongate. That is, the length of each groove 670 is greater than its width. The length of a groove 670 is measured in the direction perpendicular to the longitudinal axis of the sleeve 610 and parallel to the axis of the axle 624, whereas the width of a groove 670 is measured in the direction parallel to the longitudinal axis of the sleeve 610 and perpendicular to the axis of the axle 624. The length of the grooves 670 is determined by the width of the gears 622a, 622b (and, more specifically, by the width of the gears’ teeth). The gears 622a, 622b can be designed such that the grooves 670 formed thereby have a sufficient length and/or depth to allow the gears 622a, 622b to apply a force that advances the bar 650 along the sleeve 650. The grooves 670 may be longer, shorter, deeper or shallower than those shown in Figures 6A to 6D. When the advancement member 620 comprises two gears 622a, 622b, the gears form two parallel rows of grooves 670. More or fewer rows of grooves can be formed by providing more or fewer gears on the advancement member 620.

Figures 7A and 7B show a variation on the dispenser shown in Figures 6A to 6D. Figure 7A shows a dispenser 600’ with its sleeve 610 present, whereas Figure 7B shows the dispenser with its sleeve 610 omitted. The dispenser 600’ of Figures 7A and 7B is substantially the same as the dispenser 600 of Figures 6A to 6D, except dispenser 600’ comprises one or more (in this case, two) wheels 632a, 632b in place of the gears 622a, 622b.

The wheels 632a, 632b each comprise a plurality of projections 672. The projections 672 each have a substantially cylindrical shape. The wheels 632a, 632b are configured such that their projections 672 cut into the peripheral surface of the bar 650, thereby forming a plurality of grooves 670 in the bar 650. The grooves 670 created by the projections 672 have a substantially circular shape. The grooves 670 shown in Figures 7A and 7B are therefore non-elongate. Alternative shapes of projection 672 can be provided, so as to form grooves 670 with other elongate or non-elongate shapes. For example, the projections may be hemispherical or conical, or may have an oval, square, rectangular or polygonal cross-section.

Other forms of the advancement member are contemplated. For example, the advancement member may be configured for longitudinal movement (e.g. sliding, which may involve sliding in a continuous or in a reciprocating manner) relative to the sleeve, or the advancement member may be configured for rotation about an axis perpendicular to the longitudinal axis of the sleeve (e.g. like a rack-and-pinion mechanism).