ES2315826T3 - LIQUID DISPENSATION DEVICE. - Google Patents

Abstract

The present invention relates to a dispensing device comprising a container having a space for containing the fluid, pumping means for sucking and dispensing the fluid to the outside and a trigger for actuating said pumping means. The container space is in communication with a compensation duct (100) comprising a cylindrical narrowing (102) for reducing or preventing fluid leaking to the outside through the compensation duct.

Description

Liquid dispensing device.

The object of the present invention is a device for dispensing a fluid, for example a detergent, a disinfectant and the like, adapted to dispense at least one fluid.

A dispensing device, for example with a trigger, usually consists of a container in which It contains the fluid to be dispensed, a pumping device for aspirate the fluid from the container and to dispense the fluid sucked outward, and a trigger to operate the pumping device

The container communicates with the atmosphere through a compensation duct.

However, the presence of the duct of compensation causes fluid leakage from the container to the exterior, especially during the use of said devices in the inclined position.

Some solutions known in the art they have structural characteristics that limit the liquid leaks outwards.

For example, a dispensing device presents a compensation conduit that communicates with the vessel through a small diameter hole, to limit the amount of fluid flowing through the conduit of compensation. A solution like the one described is now disclosed in the WO 01/26822, of the same applicant.

Other solutions are described, for example, in EP-A1-0202380, US documents 4,161,288 or US 4,606,480.

However, the devices known in the technique do not allow adequate limitation of fluid leaks to through the clearing duct, with considerable disappointment of the users.

The object of the present invention is to reduce or eliminate fluid leaks through the duct compensation.

Such an object is achieved by a device. of dispensing obtained according to claim 1. The Dependent claims describe other ways of realization.

The features and advantages of the device of dispensing according to the present invention will remain more clear from the following description, made by way of example non-limiting, with reference to the attached drawings, in the which:

- Figure 1 shows a sectional view of a dispensing head of a device according to a first embodiment of the invention;

- Figure 2 shows a view of a section in perspective of the dispensing head of figure 1;

- Figure 3 shows an enlarged detail of the head of figure 2, in which an element of device compensation;

- Figures 4a and 4b show the element of compensation of figure 3;

- Figure 5 shows a sectional view of a dispensing head of a device according to a mode of additional embodiment;

- Figure 6 shows a view of a section in perspective of the dispensing head of figure 6;

- Figure 7 shows an enlarged detail of the head of figure 6, in which an element of device compensation; Y

- Figures 8a and 8b show the element of compensation of figure 7.

With reference to Figures 1 to 4b, the numerical reference 1 indicates a dispensing head of a dispensing device adapted to dispense a fluid.

The dispensing device comprises means tank adapted to contain said fluid. For example, said deposit means comprise a container that delimits a space to hold the fluid (not illustrated).

The dispensing head 1 can be associated with said means of deposit.

For example, said dispensing head 1 may be associated with said container through a nut threaded 2.

The dispensing head 1 comprises means of pumping adapted to be operated to aspirate a given amount of fluid from said reservoir means, during a passage of suction, and adapted to dispense said given amount of fluid outside the device during a dispensing step.

Preferably, said pumping means they comprise a piston element 6 comprising a tubular rod 8 that extends along an X-X axis of pumping, between a lower end 10, near the bottom of the container, and an upper end 12, opposite said end lower 10.

Moreover, said piston element 6 comprises a deformable membrane 14, cup-shaped, that connects to said tubular rod 8 in the vicinity of said upper end 12.

At said upper end 12, the tubular rod 8 has a closing wall 16 blocking said upper end 12 of the stem 8, partially separated from the remaining portion of the Stem 8 through an incision.

Preferably, in addition, the tubular rod 8 has an annular elongation 18 on the outer surface of the same.

Preferably, in addition, said pumping means they comprise a coupling element 20, which comprises a wall delimiter 22 adapted to settle, at least partially, said upper end 12 of the tubular rod 8.

The coupling element 20 comprises a connection wall 24 and a stop wall 26, separated radially from each other and with a predominant extension to what along said X-X axis of pumping.

Moreover, said coupling element 20 it comprises a tubular dispensing element 27, which delimits a dispensing conduit 28, which extends mainly to the length of a Y-Y dispensing axis, preferably perpendicular to said pumping X-X axis.

Moreover, the dispensing head 1 comprises a support body 30, which extends mainly along of said pumping X-X axis.

Preferably, said support body 30 comprises an exterior contrast wall 32, an articulated wall exterior 34 and an inner tubular guide wall 36.

Said inner tubular wall 36 extends from a lower end 38, near the container, to a upper end 40, opposite said lower end. In said upper end 40, the inner annular wall 36 comprises a highlight ring 42 protruding inward.

Moreover, the dispensing head 1 comprises a compensation element 50 adapted to be connected to said support body 30 at the bottom of said support body.

The compensation element 50 comprises a perforated plate 52. Said compensation element 50 further comprises an annular compensation wall 54, which projects from said plate 52 around said
orifice.

The annular compensation wall 54 comprises, preferably, a substantially cylindrical portion 56, connected to plate 52, a conical trunk portion 58, connected to said substantially cylindrical portion 56, and a cylindrical portion 59 that narrows and is connected to said trunk-conical portion.

In particular, said portion 58 conical trunk features a design that is convergent towards the bottom of said container.

Moreover, said dispensing head 1 can be associated with an elongated tubular element 60, which extends mainly along said X-X axis of pumping, adapted to be inserted into said annular wall 54 of compensation of compensation element 50.

In addition, said dispensing head 1 It comprises drive means adapted to be operated by a user to operate said pumping means.

Preferably, said drive means they comprise a trigger 70, adapted to be articulated with said support body 30. In addition, said means of action they comprise an active part 72, connected to said trigger 70, adapted to influence said pumping means to dispense the fluid

In addition, the dispensing head 1 comprises opening / closing means adapted to be handled so that allow / prevent fluid dispensing.

According to a preferred embodiment, said opening / closing means comprise a closing body 80, adapted to be at least partially inserted in said dispensing conduit of the coupling element and adapted to switch from a closed configuration, which prevents the fluid dispensing, to an open configuration, rotated with with respect to said closed configuration, in which it allows said dispensing

In addition, said dispensing head 1 comprises covering means adapted to cover at least partially, said pumping means.

In one embodiment, said means of covering comprise a covering wall 90, adapted to fit connected to said support body 30 and said boundary wall 22

Said covering wall 90 comprises a annular appendix 92, which protrudes from said wall, and is adapted to seat, at least partially, and to support, said wall delimiter 22 of the coupling element 20.

Figures 5 to 8b show the device of according to the invention in a further embodiment, structurally and functionally similar to the previous one.

In particular, in said embodiment, the compensation element 50 comprises a plate 52 comprising a annular wall 52b connection, arranged peripherally.

Said connection wall 52b is adapted for rest on the edge of the neck of the container.

In addition, in said embodiment, said cylindrical part 56 comprises a protruding annular potion 56B which protrudes from said plate 52 on the side opposite said wall cancel 54 compensation.

Moreover, in said embodiment, said plate 52 has a trunk-conical shape, which diverges towards said annular wall 54 of compensation.

In said embodiment, the device 1 comprises a bayonet system, to connect the head of dispensing to the container.

Generally, when mounting the device dispensing, the tubular rod 8 is inserted into the annular wall 36 of internal guide of the support body 30. The annular shoulder 42 of the inner annular wall 36 interferes with annular enlargement 18 of the tubular stem 8.

In other words, said annular highlight 42 and said enlargement 18 constitutes a preferred example of means of "static" tightness, adapted to prevent leakage of liquid from the container.

The compensation element 50 is connected to the support body 30.

According to one embodiment, the plate 52 is resting on the outer wall 32 of connection and on the articulated wall 34 while the lower end of the wall tubular 36 is, at least partially, seated over the hole of the plate 52 and resting on the annular wall 54 of compensation (Figure 1).

In a further embodiment, plate 52 is associated with the edge of the neck of the container, through said peripheral connection wall 52b, and the lower end of the inner tubular wall 36 is seated, at least partially, over the hole of the plate 52 (figure 5).

In addition, elongated tubular element 60 remains inserted into the annular wall 54 of compensation and connected tightly to the lower end 10 of the tubular rod 8.

A compensation conduit 100 is obtained.

Said compensation conduit 100 comprises a narrowing part 102 that is in direct communication with said space of the container and with a passage area in the form of crown delimited by elongated tubular element 60 and the part 59 narrowing of compensation element 50, parallel each.

Said narrowing portion 102 has a greater axial extension than the thickness of the narrowing part 59. In other words, the crown section extends axially in a portion longer than the thickness or thickness of the walls of compensation element 50.

In other words, said part 102 of narrowing presents an extension not performed only as the perforation of a wall of the compensation element 50.

Said compensation conduit 100 comprises further an expansion part 104, following said part 102 of narrowing

Preferably, said expansion portion 104 has a nominal dimension greater than the diameter of said part 102 duct narrowing 100.

Said expansion part 104 is internally delimited by said elongated tubular element 60 and / or by said tubular rod 8. Externally, said expansion portion 104 is delimited by the trunk-conical part 58 and / or by the cylindrical part 56 of said compensation element 50.

In other words, said expansion part 104 it comprises a conical trunk part that converges towards said narrowing portion 102 and to a connected cylindrical part to said trunk-conical portion, on a side opposite to said narrowing portion 102.

Moreover, said compensation conduit 100 it comprises an end portion 106 extending from said part 104 of expansion to said connection between the annular shoulder 42 of the inner guide annular wall 36 of the support body 30 and the annular enlargement 18 of the tubular rod 8.

Said end portion 106 has a section of pointed passage, in particular always smaller than part 104 of expansion, towards said connection of highlight-enlargement.

This point is obtained by means of a adequate reduction of the tubular rod 8 of the annular wall inside.

In other words, said conduit 100 of compensation is delimited, on the one hand, by a narrowing cylindrical and, on the other hand, by the connection highlight-enlargement that comes with airtightness static

In addition, trigger 70 is articulated with the articulated wall 34 of the support body 30 and the active part 72 of said trigger 70 is arranged below the membrane 14.

The membrane 14 is held in position between the support body 30 and coupling element 20. In particular, the boundary wall 22 is arranged axially spaced apart from to said membrane 14, delimiting with it a chamber 110 of dispensing for said dispensing head 1.

The covering wall 90 is configured to cover the coupling element 20, keeping the wall delimiter 22 of said coupling element 20 in position, through said annular appendix 92.

In a first configuration, called resting configuration, the fluid to be dispensed is maintained in the dispensing chamber 110 and the trigger is arranged in a resting position, in which the active portion 72 does not exert influence on membrane 14 (figures 1 and 5).

In said configuration, the annular shoulder 42 of the inner guide annular wall 36 of the support body 30 is hermetic over the annular enlargement 18 of the tubular rod 8, thus obtaining a static tightness.

Such airtightness is especially useful during the transport or storage of the dispensing device, for prevent fluid from being poured out of the container through the compensation conduit

In an additional configuration, called dispensing setting, the trigger is turned from the resting position and the active part 72 influences the membrane 14, deforming it.

Moreover, the tubular rod 8 moves to the along said pumping X-X axis, sliding in said inner guide annular wall 36.

Such displacement disconnects the annular shoulder 42 of the annular enlargement 18 of the tubular rod 8, undoing the static tightness mentioned above.

A dispensing step is obtained by changing the standby setting to the dispensing setting.

From the dispensing chamber 110, the fluid it is pushed into the dispensing conduit 28 and dispensed.

The action of the fluid in the chamber 110 of dispensing pushes the closing wall 16 towards the tubular rod 8, preventing the fluid from returning to the container through the incision.

In other words, said closing wall 16, said incision and said tubular rod 8 form a mode of preferred embodiment of adapted check valve means to prevent the reverse flow of the fluid from the chamber 110 of dispensing to the container, during said passage of dispensing

In an intermediate return configuration, the trigger 70 is released and the deformed membrane 14 presents the tendency to return to initial configuration not deformed.

An aspiration step is obtained from the dispensing configuration towards the intermediate configuration of return.

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The increase in chamber volume 110 of dispensing causes an action in the closing wall 16, moving it away from the tubular rod 8, and thus opening a conduit through which the fluid can be fed to the chamber 110 dispensing

The tendency of the membrane 14 to return to the non-deformed configuration causes a suction action in the fluid contained in the container, so that an amount flows given of said fluid through elongated tubular element 60 and passes to the dispensing chamber 110.

The passage of said given amount of fluid from the container to the dispensing chamber 110 causes an aspiration of air that, from the outside of the container, through said support body 30 and through said compensation conduit 100, passes to the vessel to compensate for the volume of fluid displaced towards the clearing house.

In particular, during the aspiration step, the moderate opening between annular shoulder 42 and the surface of the tubular rod 8 allows air to pass into the duct 100 of compensation.

In particular, the aspirated air passes through the final portion 106, the expansion portion 104 and the portion 102 of narrowing of said compensation conduit 100.

At the end of the suction step, the device is again in the rest position, where the static tightness.

Under duct configuration 100 of compensation, and in particular of compensation part 102 that prevents an abrupt and free flow of air into the space of the container, there is a state of negative pressure in the conduit of compensation when static tightness is restored.

The narrowing part 59 that is projected from the trunk-conical part 58, surrounds the element elongated tubular 60, so as to prevent free flow to the outside of the fluid during the entire path of the membrane 14.

In addition, when the compensation conduit 100 it is first full of air, it also prevents the passage of fluid, acting as an admission chamber. Actually to go towards outside, the fluid must push an air column that is created between the narrowing portion 102 of the compensation conduit 100 and the Enlargement-highlight connection.

Innovatively, during repeated subsequent dispensing and aspiration steps, the device has demonstrated a considerable ability to reduce and even eliminate liquid leaks through the compensation line.

Laboratory tests have confirmed the device efficiency

A typical test has been carried out arranging ten dispensing devices filled with a fluid at dispense.

The device is inclined with respect to the horizontal plane and the trigger is operated five times. It is valued any leakage of liquid and the amount of such leaks.

The test is carried out for each device with different inclinations with respect to the horizontal plane (30 degrees sexagesimal, 15 degrees sexagesimal and parallel to the plane horizontal). In addition, the device is tilted so much frontally as laterally.

The test is repeated every day, once a day, for six days

Between each test, the samples are stored at 40 degrees Celsius in an oven.

The presence of fluid outside is assessed and is classified with the following codes: 0 if not detected leaks; 1 if a leak contained in the support body is detected; 2 yes a leak is detected that wets hands.

The following table summarizes the measures obtained For the daily test.

one

Similar values were obtained for these tests carried out on other days.

The tests carried out have shown the high efficacy of the dispensing device in accordance with the present invention.

Advantageously, in addition, the device prevents liquid leaks during the transport of the devices in your idle settings

According to an additional advantageous aspect, the device according to the present invention has a simple structure, in which a narrowing is obtained by connecting an element drilled to the device float.

It is clear that one skilled in the art can make various variations and changes to the dispensing device in accordance with the present invention, in order to satisfy specific and circumstantial needs, which all fall within the scope of protection defined in the claims following.

Claims (22)

1. A dispensing device, adapted to dispense at least one fluid, comprising: - storage facilities adapted to contain said fluid, wherein said reservoir means comprise a container that has a space to hold the fluid; - pumping means adapted to be operated to aspirate a given amount of fluid from said means of tank during a suction step, and adapted to dispense said amount of fluid out of the device, during a passage of dispensing; - drive means adapted to be operated by the user, to operate said pumping means; wherein said container space is in communication with a compensation conduit (100) comprising a narrowing part (102), in direct communication with said space and with a crown-shaped passage section, delimited by an inner wall and an outer wall parallel to each other and in the that said outer wall has an axial extension greater than the thickness of said outer wall; the dispensing device being characterized in that said compensation conduit (100) further comprises an expansion part (104), following said narrowing part (102). 2. A device according to the claim 1, wherein said expansion part (104) has a nominal dimension greater than the diameter of said part (102) of duct narrowing (100). 3. A device according to the claim 1, wherein said expansion portion (104) comprises a conical trunk part converging towards said part (102) of narrowing. 4. A device according to the claim 3, wherein said expansion portion (104) comprises a cylindrical part connected to said part conical trunk, on the opposite side of that part (102) of narrowing. 5. A device according to any of the preceding claims, comprising means of static tightness, adapted to eliminate liquid leakage at through said compensation conduit (100). 6. A device according to the claim 5, wherein said expansion conduit (100) it comprises a final part (106) delimited by said means of static tightness. 7. A device according to the claim 6, wherein said final part (106) has a pointing towards said sealing means. 8. A device according to any of claims 5 to 7, wherein said sealing means they comprise a connection between an annular enlargement (18) and a highlight ring (42). 9. A device according to the claim 8, wherein said enlargement (18) is obtained on an annular stem (8), through which it flows, in said dispensing configuration, the fluid to be dispensed. 10. A device according to claim 9, in which said annular projection (42) protrudes from a guide wall tubular interior (36) of a support body (30), said slide sliding tubular rod (8) in said inner tubular guide wall (36) during said fluid dispensing step. 11. A device according to any of the preceding claims, comprising a membrane deformable (14), adapted to delimit, at least partially, a dispensing chamber (110), where the fluid is contained at Dispense in a device standby configuration. 12. A device according to the claim 11, wherein said membrane (14) protrudes from a tubular rod (8), through which it flows, in said configuration of dispensing, the fluid to be dispensed. 13. A device according to the claim 11 or 12, further comprising an element (20) of coupling, adapted to connect with said membrane to forming said dispensing chamber (110). 14. A device according to the claim 13, wherein said coupling element comprises a dispensing conduit (28), adapted to provide said dispensing chamber (110) in fluidic communication with the device exterior. 15. A device according to any of claims 11 to 14, further comprising valve means retention tailored to prevent reverse fluid flow contained in said dispensing chamber (110) during said step of dispensing 16. A device according to any of the preceding claims, comprising covering means, adapted to at least partially cover said means of pumping. 17. A device according to any of the preceding claims, wherein said part of narrowing is internally delimited by a tubular element elongated (60), adapted to extend in said container, to extract the fluid to be dispensed, and externally by an annular wall (54) compensation of a removable element (50) of compensation. 18. A device according to the claim 17, wherein said compensation element (50) comprises a perforated plate (52), from which said protruding annular wall (54) compensation. 19. A device according to the claim 18, wherein said plate (52) is adapted to associate with the lower end (38) of a support body (30). 20. A device according to the claim 19, comprising a threaded nut (2) for connect the dispensing head (1) with the container. 21. A device according to the claim 18, wherein said plate (52) is adapted to be associated with the edge of the neck of the container. 22. A device according to the claim 21, comprising a bayonet connection for connect the dispensing head (1) with the container.