Refill dispensing bottles

Abstract

A refill dispensing bottle ( 1 ), comprising: a container ( 200 ) defining a chamber ( 220 ) storing a viscous flowable substance and having an opening ( 240 ) through which the substance is dispensable from the chamber; and a dispenser ( 100 ) comprising a seal ( 110 ) sealing the opening, a substance flow passageway fluidly connecting the chamber to an exterior of the container through the seal, and a vent ( 130 ) fluidly connecting the chamber to the exterior of the container through the seal in parallel with the substance flow passageway; wherein a cross-sectional area of the substance flow passageway, a cross-sectional area of the vent, and a viscosity of the substance are selected so that the substance at room temperature and atmospheric pressure is dispensed from the substance flow passageway at a rate of less than 35 cc/sec and at least 0.5 cc/sec with the bottle inverted and the vent unblocked.

1 . A refill dispensing bottle, comprising:
 a container defining a chamber storing a viscous flowable substance and having an opening through which the substance is dispensable from the chamber; and   a dispenser comprising a seal sealing the opening, a substance flow passageway fluidly connecting the chamber to an exterior of the container through the seal, and a vent fluidly connecting the chamber to the exterior of the container through the seal in parallel with the substance flow passageway;   wherein a cross-sectional area of the substance flow passageway, a cross-sectional area of the vent, and a viscosity of the substance are selected so that the substance at room temperature and atmospheric pressure is dispensed from the substance flow passageway at a rate of less than 35 cc/sec and at least 0.5 cc/sec with the bottle inverted and the vent unblocked.   
     
     
         2 . The refill dispensing bottle of  claim 1 , wherein the cross-sectional area of the substance flow passageway, the cross-sectional area of the vent, and the viscosity of the substance are selected so that the substance at room temperature and atmospheric pressure is dispensed from the substance flow passageway at a rate of at least 0.9 cc/sec with the bottle inverted and the vent unblocked, optionally at least 1.8 cc/sec with the bottle inverted and the vent unblocked. 
     
     
         3 . The refill dispensing bottle of  claim 1 , wherein the cross-sectional area of the substance flow passageway, the cross-sectional area of the vent, and the viscosity of the substance are selected so that the substance at room temperature and atmospheric pressure is dispensed from the substance flow passageway at a rate of no more than 31 cc/sec with the bottle inverted and the vent unblocked, further optionally no more than 11 cc/sec with the bottle inverted and the vent unblocked, further optionally no more than 4.2 cc/sec with the bottle inverted and the vent unblocked. 
     
     
         4 . The refill dispensing bottle of  claim 1 , wherein the cross-sectional area of the substance flow passageway, the cross-sectional area of the vent, and the viscosity of the substance are selected so that the substance at room temperature and atmospheric pressure is dispensed from the substance flow passageway at a rate of less than 0.1 cc/sec with the bottle inverted and the vent blocked, optionally less than 0.01 cc/sec with the bottle inverted and the vent blocked, further optionally no more than 0.001 cc/sec with the bottle inverted and the vent blocked. 
     
     
         5 . The refill dispensing bottle of  claim 1 , wherein the substance at room temperature and atmospheric pressure is more viscous than water. 
     
     
         6 . The refill dispensing bottle of  claim 1 , wherein the substance at atmospheric pressure and room temperature has a viscosity of between 100 and 25,000 cps, optionally between 1,000 and 14,000 cps, further optionally between 3,000 and 7,000 cps. 
     
     
         7 . The refill dispensing bottle of  claim 1 , wherein the vent comprises a first pipe extending from the seal into the chamber. 
     
     
         8 . The refill dispensing bottle of  claim 1 , wherein the vent comprises a second pipe extending from the seal outside of the container. 
     
     
         9 . The refill dispensing bottle of  claim 7 , wherein an opening in the first pipe in the chamber is above a top level of the substance in the chamber when the refill dispensing bottle is inverted. 
     
     
         10 . The refill dispensing bottle of  claim 7 , wherein the first pipe extends further from the seal into the chamber than the substance flow passageway. 
     
     
         11 . The refill dispensing bottle of  claim 1  any preceding claim, wherein the dispenser is secured to the container and/or the seal is disposed inside a portion of the container. 
     
     
         12 . A refill dispensing bottle, comprising:
 a container defining a chamber for storing a viscous flowable substance and having an opening through which the substance is dispensable from the chamber; and   a dispenser secured to the container and comprising a seal sealing the opening, a substance flow passageway fluidly connecting the chamber to an exterior of the container through the seal, and a vent fluidly connecting the chamber to the exterior of the container through the seal in parallel with the substance flow passageway   wherein the vent comprises a first pipe extending from the seal into the chamber and wherein the vent comprises a second pipe extending from the seal outside of the container and further wherein the second pipe extends further from the seal outside of the container than the substance flow passageway.   
     
     
         13 . The refill dispensing bottle of  claim 1 , wherein the seal is disposed inside a portion of the container. 
     
     
         14 . A refill dispensing bottle, comprising:
 a container defining a chamber for storing a viscous flowable substance and having an opening through which the substance is dispensable from the chamber; and   a dispenser comprising a seal disposed inside a portion of the container and sealing the opening, a substance flow passageway fluidly connecting the chamber to an exterior of the container through the seal, and a vent fluidly connecting the chamber to the exterior of the container through the seal in parallel with the substance flow passageway   wherein the vent comprises a first pipe extending from the seal into the chamber and wherein the vent comprises a second pipe extending from the seal outside of the container, and further wherein the first and second pipes are comprised in a single tube that is discrete from the seal and that extends through the second passageway through the seal.   
     
     
         15 . The refill dispensing bottle of  claim 12 , wherein the first pipe extends further from the seal into the chamber than the substance flow passageway. 
     
     
         16 . The refill dispensing bottle of  claim 14 , wherein the second pipe extends further from the seal outside of the container than the substance flow passageway. 
     
     
         17 . The refill dispensing bottle of  claim 16 , wherein a part of the vent furthest from the seal outside of the container is an open end of the second pipe that is at a greater distance from the seal than any part of the substance flow passageway outside of the container, or wherein an open end of the second pipe is further from the seal outside of the container than an open end of the substance flow passageway outside of the container. 
     
     
         18 . The refill dispensing bottle of  claim 12 , comprising the substance in the chamber, optionally wherein the substance at room temperature and atmospheric pressure is more viscous than water. 
     
     
         19 . The refill dispensing bottle of  claim 18 , wherein the substance at atmospheric pressure and room temperature has a viscosity of between 100 and 25,000 cps, optionally between 1,000 and 14,000 cps, further optionally between 3,000 and 7,000 cps. 
     
     
         20 . The refill dispensing bottle of  claim 18 , when dependent on  claim 13 , wherein an opening in the first pipe in the chamber is above a top level of the substance in the chamber when the refill dispensing bottle is inverted. 
     
     
         21 . The refill dispensing bottle of  claim 1 , wherein neither the substance flow passageway nor the vent is disposed within the other of the substance flow passageway and the vent. 
     
     
         22 . The refill dispensing bottle of  claim 12 , wherein the extent to which the first pipe extends from the seal into the chamber is adjustable, and/or wherein the extent to which the second pipe extends from the seal outside of the container is adjustable. 
     
     
         23 . The refill dispensing bottle of  claim 12 , wherein the first pipe is unitary with the second pipe. 
     
     
         24 . The refill dispensing bottle of  claim 12 , wherein the dispenser comprises an annular wall extending from the seal and surrounding a portion of, or all of, the second pipe, optionally wherein the annular wall and the seal together define a basin into which the substance flow passageway opens. 
     
     
         25 . The refill dispensing bottle of  claim 1 , wherein the refill dispensing bottle is free of any device for fully or partially blocking the vent. 
     
     
         26 . The refill dispensing bottle of  claim 1 , wherein the seal is configured to fit into or receive an opening of a second container defining a second chamber with the chamber of the container in fluid communication with the second chamber via each of the substance flow passageway and the vent. 
     
     
         27 . The refill dispensing bottle of  claim 1 , comprising a cap movable relative to the seal between a first position, at which the cap isolates the substance flow passageway and the vent from the exterior of the container, and a second position at which the substance flow passageway and the vent are in fluid communication with the exterior of the container. 
     
     
         28 . A combination of the refill dispensing bottle of  claim 1 , and a second container defining a second chamber, wherein the seal is configured to fit into or receive an opening of the second container with the chamber of the container in fluid communication with the second chamber via each of the substance flow passageway and the vent. 
     
     
         29 . A combination according to  claim 28 , comprising a stand for supporting the second container on a surface when the seal is fitted into the opening of the second container or the opening of the second container is received in the opening. 
     
     
         30 . A combination according to  claim 28 , wherein dispensing of the flowable substance stops automatically and without user intervention when the flowable substance reaches a predetermined level in the second chamber of the second container.