GB2536886A

GB2536886A - An Airless, Fluid dispensing assembly and system

Info

Publication number: GB2536886A
Application number: GB1505321.8A
Authority: GB
Inventors: Allen Chipawe Tinashe
Original assignee: Individual
Current assignee: Individual
Priority date: 2015-03-27
Filing date: 2015-03-27
Publication date: 2016-10-05
Also published as: GB201505321D0

Abstract

A fluid dispensing apparatus comprising a deformable outer chamber (1, fig 2) has a one way duckbill valve fig 23B at the base of the outer chamber and an opening allowing a deformable pouch to be placed inside the outer chamber, creating a cavity 8. The pouch is connected to a one way duckbill valve fig 23A in communication with an apertured cap defining a fluid outlet 46. The cap is connected to the outer chamber and seals the pouch within the outer chamber. In use the user 45 squeezes the outer chamber which forces the contents of the pouch through the one way duckbill valve fig 23A and out through the cap. Upon releasing the pressure on the outer chamber air is sucked into the cavity 8 between the outer chamber and the pouch via the one way valve fig 23B in the base of the outer chamber, equalising the air pressure within the outer chamber. The component parts of the apparatus are made from flexible silicone rubber of different shore values. Alternatively the parts may be formed of latex rubber. The fluid may be cosmetics, lotions, medicament creams or the like.

Description

An airless, fluid dispensing assembly and system

Background

This invention relates to a reusable fluid dispensing assembly which also operates as an airless discharge pump system for dispensing viscous fluids (such as, but not limited to, cosmetic creams, lotions, medicament creams), without the addition of a completely separate pump unit.

An airless discharge pump is, generally, mounted on an upper end of the cosmetics container to discharge the contained cream, lotion, etc. Such airless discharge pumps are typically made up of many different components of different materials, thus making recycling complex and the manufacture of such systems may be typically expensive compared to other dispensing systems. Furthermore, there is not currently an effective system for encouraging the user to reuse these systems and most end up in landfills.

Statement of invention

To overcome the above-mentioned problems the invention proposes a fluid dispensing assembly that is also an airless discharge pump system that takes full advantage of using vacuum pressure. The present invention is demonstrated to have improved dispensing capabilities. Another advantage of this system is convenience in the manufacturing processes and furthermore, it is cheaper to manufacture.

The invention provides a fluid dispensing assembly and system capable of being entirely manufactured using a single material: latex rubber. This fluid dispensing assembly includes a refillable, reusable and replaceable latex rubber pouch containing the liquid or viscous liquid contents and a non return one-way valve on the top made from latex rubber, a harder latex rubber outer container with a non return one-way valve at the bottom made from latex rubber. Upon assembling the unit the space between the two containers will provide the vacuum needed to make the invention work, so that as you squeeze the container with its one-way valve only allowing air to come in, the vacuum pressure allows the contents to be dispensed without letting back-flow of any air in, so that when you release the squeeze, the mass removed from the inner latex rubber pouch will be replaced by more air in the vacuum chamber. Thus each time the invention is squeezed to obtain the contents, the latex container will get smaller and smaller without letting any air into the contents enclosed in the latex pouch.

This system is simple enough for the user to easily open and replace the reusable and refillable pouch and they can then send back the empty pouch to the manufacturer to be refilled with new liquid or viscous liquid contents for another use. The durability of the silicone rubber means the assembly (more specifically the outer chamber and cap) can be cleaned with hot water or in a dishwasher to keep it hygienic. Another advantage of this is that the user has an incentive to return the empty refill pouch in order to get more refilled pouches, thus creating a loyalty system. The nature of the airless system also means the liquids, viscous liquids, creams or lotions can contain lower levels of preservatives, or even no preservatives in some cases (where there is no water in the formulation).

Since the assembly is made entirely from silicone rubber it also means that the chamber can be moulded into different shapes, for example, enabling a bottle to be moulded into the shape of a logo or other promotional items. This invention for refillable, reusable packaging has great potential for companies looking to improve their green credentials.

Description of Drawings

The invention will now be described solely by way of example and with reference to the accompanying drawings in which: Figure 1 shows a view of the complete airless bottle assembly and system where the separation between the chamber and the cap can be seen.

Figure 2 shows a cross-sectional view of the present invention.

Figure 2A shows an enlarged cross-sectional view of where the cap and chamber connect by way of mating connection.

Figure 2B shows an enlarged cross-sectional view of where the cap and top valve connect by way of a mating connection.

Figure 2C shows an enlarged cross-sectional view of where the cap and bottom valve connect by way of mating connection.

Figure 3 shows a view from a top angle of the chamber which holds the refill pouch without the top cap.

Figure 4 shows a view from a bottom angle of the chamber which holds the refill pouch without the bottom one-way valve.

Figure 5 shows a view from a top angle of the airless bottle cap showing the contents exit point.

Figure 6 shows a view from a top angle of the airless bottle cap showing where the thumb would be positioned to separate the cap from the chamber in order to replace the depleted refill pouch.

Figure 7 shows a view from a side angle of the airless bottle cap.

Figure 8 shows a cross-sectional view of the airless bottle cap.

Figure 9 shows a view from a top angle of the one-way valve which connects the refill pouch to the top cap. Figure 10 shows a view from a side angle of the one-way valve which connects the refill pouch to the top cap. Figure 11 shows a cross-sectional view of the one-way valve which connects the refill pouch to the top cap.

Figure 12 shows a view from a top angle of the one-way valve which connects at the bottom of the chamber shown in figure 4.

Figure 13 shows a view from a side angle of the one-way valve which connects at the bottom of the chamber shown in figure 4.

Figure 14 shows a cross-sectional view of the one-way valve which connects at the bottom of the chamber shown in figure 4.

Figure 15 shows a view from a top angle of the refill pouch cap.

Figure 16 shows a view from a side angle of the refill pouch cap.

Figure 17 shows a cross-sectional view of the refill pouch cap.

Figure 18 shows a view from a top angle of the refill pouch without the refill pouch cap. Figure 19 shows a view from a top angle of the refill pouch with the refill pouch cap. Figure 20 shows a view from a side angle of the refill pouch with the refill pouch cap. Figure 21 shows a cross-sectional view of the refill pouch with the refill pouch cap.

Figure 21A shows an enlarged cross-sectional view of where the refill pouch cap and valve connect by way of mating connections on the valve and revolve cut on the refill pouch cap.

Figure 22 shows an illustration of the hands holding the invention for demonstration of usage.

Figure 23 shows an illustration of the hands applying pressure on the bottle to dispense the contents of the refill pouch.

Figure 23A shows an enlarged cross-sectional view of the directional flow of the fluid in the refill pouch passing through the one-way duckbill valve.

Figure 23B shows an enlarged cross-sectional view showing restriction of air flow by the one-way duckbill valve.

Figure 24 shows an illustration of the hands releasing pressure on the bottle to dispense the contents of the refill pouch.

Figure 24A shows an enlarged cross-sectional view showing restriction of the flow of fluid by the one-way duckbill valve for the purpose of preventing any expelled contents from allowing air back in the refill pouch.

Figure 24B shows an enlarged cross-sectional view of the directional flow of the air passing through the one-way duckbill valve.

Detailed Description of the Invention

Figure 1 shows an embodiment of the airless cosmetics bottle assembly and system which is comprised of the cap 7, the chamber 1 and the refill pouch 9 contained inside the chamber.

Figure 2 shows a cross-sectional view of the invention where the chamber 1 made from latex rubber containing the refill pouch 9 also made from latex rubber. Between the chamber 1 and refill pouch 9 is a empty space 8 which creates a vacuum. The refill pouch bore 36 shown in Figure 18 connects by wrapping around the one-way duckbill valve 49 made from latex rubber to ensure an airless connection when connected to the bottle cap 7 by way of mating connection and compression between the mating surfaces as illustrated in Figure 21 The cap 7 tightly connects to the chamber 1 to ensure an airless connection between the cap 7 and the chamber 1. The airtight connection between the bottle cap 7 and the chamber 1 will be made by way of a mating connection and the resulting compression between the mating surfaces 43 as illustrated in Figure 2A. Once the one-way duckbill valve 42 is connected with the refill pouch 9 on the refill pouch bore 36, they will both be connected to the cap 7 by way of mating connections and the resulting compression between the mating surfaces as illustrated in Figure 2B. The one-way duckbill valve 3 at the bottom of the chamber will be connected to the bottom bore of the chamber 1 by way of mating connections and the resulting compression between the mating surfaces 44 as illustrated in Figure 2C.

Figure 3 shows a view of the chamber 1 when disassembled from the other components, which holds the refill pouch. The semicircle revolve cut groove 10 ensures that the cap is placed in the right position when inserting the bottle cap 7 for easy alignment when replacing the refill pouch 9. The twenty five degree angled semicircle extrude cut 12 ensures the back of the cap 18 is placed in the right position when inserting the bottle cap 7 for easy alignment when replacing the refill pouch 9. The chamber's top semicircle revolve cut groove 11 ensures a mating connection (resulting from the compression between the mating surfaces) with the cap's semicircle revolve extrusion 17 (Figure 7).

Figure 4 shows a view from a bottom angle of the chamber 1 which holds the refill pouch 9. The chamber's bottom semicircle revolve cut grove 13 ensures a mating connection (resulting from the compression between the mating surfaces) with the semicircle revolve extrusion of the bottom one-way duckbill valve 26 (Figure 13).

Figure 5 shows a view from a top angle of the bottle cap 7 showing the top of the cap 14, the contents exit bore 16, the semicircle revolve extrusion 17, which ensures a mating connection with the chamber's top semicircle revolve cut groove 11 (Figure 3) and the twenty five degree angled semicircle extrusion 5 is there to ensure the bottle cap 7 is placed in the right positioning when reinserting the bottle cap 7 when replacing the refill pouch 9.

Figure 6 shows a view from a top angle of the bottle cap showing where the finger or thumb is positioned 18 to open the bottle cap 7 from chamber 1 by pushing the bottle cap upward with the finger or thumb away from the chamber to release the mating connections 43 (Figure 2A) of the bottle cap 7 and chamber 1.

Figure 7 shows a view from a side angle of the bottle cap 7. The bottle cap's semicircle revolve extrusion 17 ensures a mating connection with the chamber's semicircle revolve cut 11 (Figure 3).

Figure 8 shows a cross-sectional view of the bottle cap 7. The bottle cap's semicircle revolve cut 19 ensures the mating connection with the duckbill valve's semicircle revolve extrude 21 (Figure 10) to create an airtight seal from the resulting compression between the mating surfaces 4 as illustrated in Figure 2B. The primary exit bore 6 is the travel passage of the cosmetics fluid to be dispensed from the refill pouch 9 through to the secondary exit bore 5 when pressure is applied by firmly pressing the chamber 1 as illustrated 45 by the motions shown in Figure 23.

Figure 9 shows a view from a top angle of the one-way duckbill valve 42 which connects the refill pouch 9 to the bottle cap 7.

Figure 10 shows a view from a side angle of the one-way duckbill valve 42 (Figure 2) which connects the refill pouch 9 to the top cap 7 as illustrated in Figure 2B. The duckbill valve's semicircle revolve extrude 21 ensures the mating connection 4 (Figure 2B) with the cap's semicircles revolve cut groove 19 (Figure 8) to create an airtight seal 4 (Figure 2B) as a result of the compression between the mating surfaces (Figure 2B). Part of the one-way duckbill valve shaft has less material 23, to compensate for the material from the refill pouch bore 36 that will surround the duckbill valve shaft 23, for added air and liquid sealing control measures 49 (Figure 2B).

Figure 11 shows a cross-sectional view of the one-way duckbill valve 42 which connects the refill pouch 9 to the bottle cap 7.

Figure 12 shows a view from a top angle of the one-way duckbill valve 3 (Figure 2) which connects at the bottom of the chamber 13 (Figure 4).

Figure 13 shows a side view of the one-way duckbill valve 3 which connects at the bottom of the chamber 13. The duckbill valve's semicircle revolve extrude 26 ensures the mating connection 44 (Figure 2C) with the bottom of the chamber's semicircle revolve cut 13 to create an airtight seal from the result of the compression between the mating surfaces as illustrated in Figure 2C.

Figure 14 shows a cross-sectional view of the one-way duckbill valve 3 which connects at the bottom of the chamber 13 as illustrated in Figure2C.

Figure 15 shows a view from a top angle of the refill pouch cap 38.

Figure 16 shows a view from a side angle of the refill pouch cap 38. The refill pouch cap's semicircle revolve cut groove 32 ensures the mating connection as a result of the compression between the mating surfaces 31 with the duckbill valve's semicircle revolve extrude 21 to create an airtight seal as illustrated in Figure 21A.

Figure 17 shows a cross-sectional view of the refill pouch cap 38 (Figure 19).

Figure 18 shows a view from a top angle of the refill pouch 9 without the refill pouch cap to reveal the refill pouch's bore 36 to be used for filling the pouch with the fluid or viscous liquid and also as the exit point when using the invention.

Figure 19 shows a view from a top angle of the refill pouch 9 with the refill pouch cap 38. Figure 20 shows a view from a side angle of the refill pouch 9 with the refill pouch cap 38.

Figure 21 shows a cross-sectional view of the refill pouch 9 with the refill pouch cap 38. The refill pouch cap's semicircle revolve cut groove 32 (Figure 17) ensures the mating connection 31 with the duckbill valve's semicircle revolve extrude 21 to create an airtight seal from the result of the compression between the mating surfaces as illustrated in Figure 21A.

Figure 22 shows an illustration of a hand holding the invention for demonstration of usage.

Figure 23 shows an illustration of the hand squeezing the invention to release the contents contained in the refill pouch 46. When the hand squeezes the bottle the contents flow upwards and travel in one direction as shown with the directional arrows. The one-way duckbill valve located at the top of the chamber only allows the flow of direction to be such as that shown in Figure 23A. The one-way duckbill valve located at the bottom of the chamber ensures the air contained in the vacuum space 8 does not exit the cavity as illustrated in (Figure 23B) Figure 24 shows an illustration of the hand releasing the squeezing pressure on the invention 47 either to squeeze again in order to release and collect more contents or to stop collecting the contents, as applicable. At this point the release of pressure means the duckbill valve at the bottom of the chamber will now let air into the vacuum cavity as illustrated in Figure 24B. The one-way duckbill valve at the top of the refill pouch will now prevent air from flowing in the refill pouch as illustrated in Figure 24A.

Claims

Claims 1. An airless fluid dispensing assembly and system, comprising a flexible and durable outer chamber made from silicon rubber with a one-way valve at the bottom, a silicone rubber refill pouch inside the chamber with a one-way duckbill valve at the top made from silicone rubber and a cap to seal the refill pouch inside the chamber, also made form silicone rubber.
2. An airless fluid dispensing assembly and system according to claim 1 where the working assembly is comprised of five parts all made from the same silicone rubber material of different shore values.
3. An airless fluid dispensing assembly and system according to claim 1 where the five said parts are: 1. A durable outer chamber made from silicone rubber with a large opening at the top where a cap is placed to seal the assembly by way of mating connections in order to block any potential leak of air between the outer chamber and the cap. 2. A one-way duckbill valve made from silicone rubber at the bottom of said chamber to allow air in but not allow air out. 3. A refillable pouch made from silicone rubber which can be replaced by a full refillable pouch once the pouch's contents have been depleted. 4. A one-way duckbill valve made from silicone rubber, connected by way of a mating connection on top of the said refillable pouch to enable the contents of the refillable pouch to be extracted without letting air back in the refillable pouch. 5. A cap made from silicone rubber with a hole in the centre where a one-way duckbill valve connected to the refillable pouch is inserted in the hole, the cap then has a bore connecting to a hole to enable the contents to flow from the refillable pouch through the cap via the bore for dispensing the contents.
4. An airless fluid dispensing assembly and system according to claim 1 where the flexible pouch made from the same material as said chamber of silicone rubber is used to store liquids such as, but not limited to, cosmetics creams inside said chamber with a one-way valve at the top of the pouch, also made from the same material of said chamber and said pouch.
5. An airless fluid dispensing assembly and system according to claim 3 where the combined units together would form a one-way vacuum pump system assembly made entirely out of a single material of flexible silicone rubbers of different shore values designed to dispense the viscous liquids upon the sides being squeezed.
6. An airless fluid dispensing assembly and system according to claim 3 and claim 5 where the space between the chamber and refill pouch would create a vacuum system by increasing its volume progressively as the contents of the refill pouch are dispensed.
7. An airless fluid dispensing assembly and system according to claim 3 where the one-way duckbill valves restrict the flow of the contents in the refill pouch in one direction.
8. An airless fluid dispensing assembly and system according to claim 3 where the one-way duckbill valves restrict air flow in one direction to enter the chamber cavity.