Vermillion Corporation

Stephen Andrew Stickel

Walter Wilcox Cardwell, Iii

An Tran

Richard Patrick Manahan

David C Munkwitz

Scott R Stone

A retention mechanism has a base and a snap ring that are mounted to two components. The snap ring has a hole for attaching a first component. A conical element with a rounded knob protrudes from the snap ring. The base is cylindrical and has a cap with a rounded face and a conical opening that tapers to a cylindrical hole. Both the knob and the base are slit for greater compliance. After the base and snap ring are mounted to their respective components, the snap ring may be removably connected to the base by inserting its knob into the conical opening in the base. The complementary shapes of the snap ring and base allow for significant axial and angular misalignment. The slits allow the snap ring and base to elastically deform. The snap ring and base are disengaged by pulling the snap ring away from the base.

Highly compliant and highly repeatable retention mechanism for attaching and quickly releasing components

Spray dispenser

A two-piece retention mechanism has a base and a snap ring that are individually mounted to two separate components that a user desires to releasably join. The snap ring has a round body with a hole for attaching the first component thereto. A conical element with a spherical tip protrudes from the snap ring body. The base has a cylindrical body for mounting to the second component. The body of the base has a cap with a rounded face and a conical opening that tapers down to a cylindrical hole. After the base and snap ring are mounted to their respective components, the snap ring may be removably connected to the base by inserting its spherical tip into the conical opening in the base. The complementary shapes of the snap ring and base allow for significant axial and angular misalignment. The snap ring and base elastically deform and emit an audible &ldquo;snap&rdquo; during this sequence. To disengage the snap ring from the base, the user simply pulls the snap ring away from base to overcome the retention forces.

Highly compliant retention mechanism for attaching and quickly releasing components

According to the present invention, a dispenser for dispensing a substance from a pressurized canister having a nozzle selectively operable to control release of the substance is provided. The dispenser includes an elongate housing for a pressurized canister, where the housing includes a proximal end, a distal end, and a sidewall. The distal end of the housing has an aperture formed therein, and the sidewall has an opening formed therein. An actuator, which is movable at least axially forward toward the distal end and axially backward toward the proximate end, extends within the elongate housing through the opening and cooperates with a nozzle of the pressurized canister. To operate the dispenser, the actuator is moved to an axially forward firing position in which the actuator causes the nozzle to operate, thereby releasing the substance from the pressurized canister through the aperture in a substantially axial direction.

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Columbus, IN, United States of America

Stephen Andrew Stickel