Solution Dispensing Bottle Assembly

This application claims the benefit of U.S. provisional patent application Ser. No. 60/002,215 filed Aug. 11, 1995.

1. Field of the Invention

This invention relates to a solution dispensing bottle assembly and, more particularly, to a bottle assembly adapted to be received in a deep cleaning or water extraction cleaning machine.

2. Description of the Related Art

Water extraction cleaning machines, sometimes called deep cleaning machines, typically require the mixing of a concentrated cleaning detergent with water to create a desired cleaning solution for application to the surface to be cleaned. The solution can either be mixed manually by the user by pouring a premeasured amount of detergent into a clean water reservoir and adding water thereto, or a bottle of detergent can be fluidly connected to mixing means provided on the extraction cleaning machine. Examples of water extraction cleaning machines incorporating detergent bottles and means for mixing the liquid contained therein with water from a clean solution reservoir include U.S. Pat. No. 4,676,287 issued Jun. 30, 1987 to Fitzwater and U.S. Pat. No. 5,299,608 issued Apr. 5, 1994 to Bosyj. Both of these patents show means incorporated on both the water extraction cleaning machine and the bottle for securing the bottle to the machine while fluid is conveyed from the bottle to the mixing means in the machine.

The water extraction cleaning machine of U.S. Pat. No. 4,676,287 comprises a docking port provided on the machine wherein the port is adapted to receive the neck of a bottle assembly. A pair of inwardly extending studs or projections are provided on the interior side wall of the port. The projections cooperate with a pair of helically-shaped grooves formed on the exterior surface of a rotating collar of the bottle assembly. The collar is rotated relative to the bottle and projection for drawing the bottle into the operative position and securing the bottle to the machine.

The solution dispensing bottle assembly according to the invention comprises a bottle assembly for use in a cleaning machine of the type disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 4,676,287. The bottle assembly according to the invention comprises a hollow container having a neck formed on one end thereof. An adapter is mounted on the exterior surface of the neck and has at least one resilient flange integrally formed therein for resilient deflection with respect to the container. An aperture is formed in the flange. The aperture is dimensioned to snugly receive an inwardly extending lug provided on the water extraction cleaning machine. The lug is received in the flange aperture when the container is secured in the operative position to the water extraction cleaning machine. The container is removed from the machine by manually deforming the flange relative to the container and the machine a sufficient distance so that the lug is no longer received in the flange aperture.

Preferably, two resilient flanges are provided on the adapter, the flanges are cantilevered and formed by a U-shaped groove provided in the adapter.

In an alternative embodiment, each resilient flange further includes a depression provided on the exterior surface thereof extending from the terminal end of the flange to the lug aperture. The depression is adapted to slidably receive the lug as the container is slid into and removed from the water extraction cleaning machine.

In still another embodiment, the adapter is telescopically received around the neck. A depression is formed on either the container or the adapter and a projection is formed on the other of the container and adapter. The depression and projection are complementary to one another so that the adapter will be retained on the container when the projection is received in the depression. Preferably, the depression is provided on the container and the projection is provided on the adapter.

The invention will now be described with reference to the drawings in which:

FIG. 1 is an exploded view of a dispensing bottle assembly according to the invention and a portion of the water extraction cleaning machine;

FIG. 2 is an exploded, perspective view of the bottle assembly shown in FIG. 1;

FIG. 3 is a partial, sectional view of the neck of the bottle assembly as received in the water extraction cleaning machine;

FIG. 4 is a top, plan view of the bottle assembly; and

FIG. 5 is a sectional view of the bottle assembly taken along lines 5--5 of FIG. 4.

Referring now to FIGS. 1-5, the solution dispensing bottle assembly 12 according to the invention is adapted to be received in a suitable docking port 14 provided in a water extraction cleaning machine 16. The solution dispensing bottle assembly 12 according to the invention is intended to be used in the water extraction cleaning machine of the type described in U.S. Pat. No. 4,676,287 which is incorporated herein by reference. Although the bottle assembly 12 according to the invention is intended to supply concentrated cleaning detergent to the water extraction cleaning machine 16, the bottle assembly can be adapted for conducting any liquid to a machine or support structure having opposed lugs similar to that seen in U.S. Pat. No. 4,676,287.

The bottle assembly according to the invention comprises a bottle 18, preferably blow molded, which comprises a body portion 20, a tapered neck 22 extending from one end of the body portion 20 and a bottom wall 24 provided opposite the tapered neck. Preferably, the body portion 20 is generally trapezoidal in cross section wherein the front wall 26 and rear wall 28 are substantially planar and substantially parallel to one another and the front wall is wider than the rear wall 30, 32. The side walls interconnecting the front and rear walls 26, 28 are somewhat arcuate. A groove 34 is provided in the bottle 18 at the junction between the body portion 20 and the tapered neck 22. Preferably, the groove 34 extends around the entire perimeter of the bottle 18.

The tapered neck 22 comprises a broad base 36 provided at one end thereof and a circular opening 38 provided at the other end thereof. The body of the neck 22 tapers upwardly from the base 36 to the circular opening 38.

An adapter 42 is adapted to be secured to the tapered neck 22 of the bottle 18. The adapter 42 comprises a broad base 44 which is substantially complementary to the base 36 of the tapered neck 22 and a substantially circular end wall 46 provided at the other end thereof. The body of the adapter 42 intermediate the base 44 and the end wall 46 tapers upwardly from the base to the end wall. The exterior surface of the adapter 42 immediately adjacent the end wall 46 has circular threads 48 provided thereon which are adapted to receive a cap 50 for enclosing the end wall 46. A pair of flexible cantilevered flanges 52, 54 are formed in the body of the adapter 42 by a pair of U-shaped grooves 56, 58. The grooves are oriented so that the attached base of the flanges 52, 54 is adjacent the broad base 44 of the adapter 42, and the bight portion of the U-shaped groove is adjacent the threaded end of the adapter 42. Each of the flanges 52, 54 has a longitudinally extending recess or depression formed on the exterior surface thereof extending from the end of the flange adjacent the bight portion of the U-shaped groove and terminating at circular apertures 64, 66 provided in the body of the flanges 52, 54. A plurality of ribs 68, 70 can be formed on the outside surface of the flanges 52, 54 in order to provide a grippable surface for a user when installing or removing the bottle assembly 12.

The adapter 42 telescopically surrounds the neck 22 and is secured thereto through the cooperation of an inwardly extending projection, preferably a rib 72 provided on the inside of the adapter and a groove 34 provided on the exterior surface of the container. The rib 72 is preferably complementary to the groove and dimensioned so that the rib is snap-fit into the groove. Even though the cooperating rib 72 and groove 34 are preferably formed on the bottle 18 and adapter 42, respectively, this arrangement can be easily reversed.

As seen in FIGS. 3 and 4, the end wall 46 of the adapter has a pair of nipples 76, 78 provided on the exterior surface thereof. A pair of bosses 80, 82 are formed on the interior of the adapter end wall 46 opposite the nipples 76, 78. Fluid flow conduits 84, 86 extend through the nipples 76, 78 and bosses 80, 82, respectively. One of the bosses 80 is dimensioned to receive one end of a straw 88 which is received inside the bottle 18 when the bottle and adapter 42 are assembled. The straw extends to the bottom of the bottle 18.

As seen in FIG. 3, the nipples 76, 78 and corresponding flow conduits 84, 86 are adapted to be fluidly connected to a liquid supply conduit 94 and an air supply conduit 96 provided on the water extraction cleaning machine 16. Preferably, an elastomeric member 98 is provided in the base of the port 14 of the cleaning machine 16. Apertures 100, 102 are formed in the elastomeric member for conducting air and detergent therethrough. When the bottle assembly 12 is properly received in the recess 14 of the cleaning machine 16, the straw 88 and flow conduit 86 are fluidly connected to the liquid supply conduit 94 of the machine, and the flow conduit 84 is fluidly connected to the air supply conduit 96.

In order to maintain an effective, substantially air- and fluid-tight seal between the flow conduits 84, 86 of the bottle assembly and the supply conduits 94, 96 of the extraction cleaning machine, means are incorporated to retain the nipples 76, 78 snugly against the elastomeric member 98 and corresponding apertures 100, 102. As described in further detail in U.S. Pat. No. 4,676,287, the water extraction cleaning machine 16 comprises a support member 106 having a pair of inwardly directed lugs 108, 110 provided on the inside surface thereof. The lugs 108, 110 cooperate with the deformable flanges 52, 54 to secure the bottle assembly 12 within the machine recess 14 and maintain the substantially fluid- and air-tight seal between the bottle assembly and the machine.

When the adapter 42 is mounted on the bottle 18, the flexible flanges 52, 54 are spaced from the side walls of the tapered neck 22 a sufficient distance to permit inward deflection of the flanges 52, 54 relative to the neck 22. The bottle assembly 12 is inserted into the recess 14 and secured thereto by sliding the adapter 42 and tapered neck 22 of the bottle into the recess 14 a sufficient distance until the lugs 108, 110 contact the terminal ends 65, 67 of the flanges. As sliding insertion of the bottle assembly continues, the lugs 108, 110 are received in the surface recesses 60, 62 of the flanges 52, 54 and slide therein. The lugs 108, 110 slide along the recesses until the lugs 108, 110 overlie the apertures 64, 66 of the flanges 52, 54. The natural spring bias of the flanges 52, 54 will force the flanges outwardly relative to the lugs so that the lugs 108, 110 will be received in the apertures 64, 66 of the flanges, thereby locking the bottle assembly to the support member 106 of the cleaning machine 16. The flanges 52, 54 and apertures 64, 66 are positioned so that the lugs 108, 110 will be received in the apertures 64, 66 when the nipples 76, 78 snugly contact the elastomeric member 98 of the bottle recess 14.

The bottle assembly 12 is quickly and easily removed from the bottle recess 14 by grasping the flanges 52, 54 and squeezing them inwardly a sufficient distance until the lugs 108, 110 are no longer received in the apertures 64, 66. Then, the user can slideably withdraw the bottle assembly 12 from the bottle recess 14. As the bottle is withdrawn therefrom, the lugs 108, 110 slide along the surface recesses 60, 62 provided on the deformable flanges 52, 54. Once the bottle assembly 12 has been removed from the recess 14, the user can quickly and easily insert a replacement bottle assembly, if necessary.

Preferably, the cap 50 and adapter 42 are formed pursuant to a conventional injection molding process from polypropylene. The bottle 18 is preferably formed pursuant to a conventional blow molding process from high density polyethylene and the straw 88 is formed pursuant to a conventional extrusion process from polyethylene.

The snap-interlocking bottle assembly according to the invention is an improvement over the known bottle interlocking mechanism because it is easier to manufacture and assemble the bottle. The interlocking mechanism is an effective alternative to the rotating collar member as described in U.S. Pat. No. 4,676,287.

reasonable variation and modification are possible within the spirit of the foregoing specification and drawings without departing from the scope of the invention.