PT96318A - DEVICE FOR DELIVERY OF FLUENT MEDIA - Google Patents

Abstract

A device is described for dispensing flowable media, which device consists of a container with a tube of elastically deformable materials and a valve device in the tube part, the device having a stationary contact-pressure part and a pivotable lever possessing a contact-pressure surface. The pivotable lever serves to compress the tube section arranged between the contact-pressure part and the contact-pressure surface, opening the valve device and dispensing the medium contained in the tube, the tube being connected to a pivotable section of the lever.

Description

(Germany) * (inventors: Klaus-Dieter Eckert, Erwin Gering, Hans-Giminther Kessler, Dr Burkhard Krenkel, and Johann Stein, residing in the Federal Republic of Germany) *, for "DISPUTED-ASSAY FOR THE DELIVERY OF FLUENT MEDIA".

The present invention relates to a device for delivering fluent media, which are placed in a container with a flexible tube of deformable elastic material having a valve device with a fixed compression part, as well as a swinging lever there is provided a compression surface for compression of the flexible tube section to the compression portion and the apertured compression surface of the valve device and delivery of the medium thereto. into the flexible hose. - 1 -

Conventional devices of the type mentioned in the introduction are used in particular as soap dispensers and are described in US Pat. No. 4,130,224. In this case, the container has a flexible tube which is rigidly connected to the housing of the device and can be compressed by an oscillating lever. However, during the use of this device it is not guaranteed that the user will apply the outlet medium to the desired point of his hand, since the beginning of delivery of the medium depends, on the one hand, on the position of the hand in relation to the outlet, other side * of the position of the lever in which the valve opens. This results in users with long fingers and a large surface of the hands and are applying the medium in a regular manner on the fingers, whereas in the case of persons with short fingers they can not prevent the medium from striking the area between the palm of the hand and wrist. This is undesirable and is especially inconvenient when the user is wearing long sleeved clothing. Further, there are described in EP 0 045 830 and 0 329 532 soap dispensers which are free from inconveniences comparable to those of the soap dispenser mentioned in the introduction. The dispenser according to EP 045 830 is further amenable to use with grain materials.

From the prior art, the present invention aims to improve the device of the kind indicated without undue constructive complications such that the medium for the desired hand site can be provided. The problem posed is according to the present invention solved by connecting the outlet of the flexible tube with a swinging section of the lever. It will be appreciated that the present invention is in any case carried out when the outlet has a position fixedly in the user's hand, more particularly independent of the user holding the lever fixed or swinging. - 2 τ

Thus, in a suitably adjusted device, it is ensured that the medium is preferably provided to the palm of the user's hand *

Other convenient and advantageous embodiments of the present invention result from the secondary claims.

In the case of a device having a vertically extending flexible tube and an oscillating lever about a horizontal axis, it is therefore desirable that the outlet of the flexible tube be placed in the lower portion of the lever. In this case, these conditions are also obtained if the side of the lever facing the side opposite the user has a retention device capable of being connected thereto to the outlet. In the context of this inventive concept it is particularly advantageous if the retention device comprises an adjustment device having a holding section, the distance of which from the lever can be adjusted continuously and can be fixed. The function of the holding device is to arrange the end of the flexible tube with respect to the lever

such that it can follow the movements of the lever. If the device is intended especially for adults, then the distance between the outlet and the larger lever should be chosen, whereas in the case of devices for children, for example if it is to be used in schools or kindergartens, a shorter distance is chosen. provides that the adjusting device has a handle holding the outlet, the distance of which from the lever can be changed by means of a screw. In this case, it is particularly convenient for the valve device to be retained by the handle. The container is usually made up of a bag made of plastic and solder, into which the medium is placed. In this case the bag may be placed in the carton of the device, defining the flexible tube at the lower end of the bag and being rigidly attached to the bag. vanca - 3 -

A further advantageous embodiment provides that the compression surface is part of a pressure body hinged to the lever. An advantage of this measure is that in the flexible tube a pressure can be exerted

However, if a thin-walled plastic material is chosen, then in some circumstances the flexible tube could be damaged if it were exerted on this part of the body. A further preferred embodiment provides that the compression part is part of a plate-shaped body, the position of which in relation to the lever can be varied. Thus, is used as the means to determine the amount of media delivered.

For the filling of the device with the product it is particularly convenient for the flexible tube and the groove to be formed in one piece and of the same plastic material. This has the advantage of being able to detach the empty bag by a new one. it is particularly advantageous if the upper end of the flexible tube is supported by a holder of the device '

An exemplary embodiment of the present invention is shown in the accompanying drawings, which will be described in more detail below. FIG. 1 is a device with a carton, in a side view; FIG. FIG. 2, a part of the device shown in fig. 1, without a carton and a representation with the spare parts; Figure 3 is a side view of another device, without a carton;

FIG. 4, o

4 - t

FIG. 5, 6 and 7, the actuation section of the device in the mid-actuation situation is completely oscillated; Figure 8 shows the device according to Figure 1, an adjustment device and partly in section; and FIG. 9 is a part of the device according to FIG. 8, in perspective side view *

In Figures 1 to 7 there is shown a device for delivering fluent products, for example soap, cleaning products or the like * which are placed in a container (10) with a tube (14) of elastic deformable plastic material which presents a valve device (12). The body 4 is constituted by a basic body 8 and a housing 40 which can be removably connected to the basic body by means of retention devices, not shown in detail. (46) and has a support (42) in the upper region with hooks (44). The hooks (44) support the container (10) in the form of a bag, in which the container The lower end of the container 10 opens into the flexible tube 14, which carries in the transition zone a ring 6, which is connected to the outer end of the container 10. (32) has a safety device (30) which is intended to ensure that the flexible tube (14) does not detach itself from the holder of the support (32). support (32). In this support bracket 32 is also hinged the lever 20 having a pressure surface 18 in the form of a hinged plate. The point of the hinge (26) of the compression surface (18) is placed in the middle zone of the lever, while the other end of the body has a pressure spring (24), by means of which the force which acts on the flexible tube (14). The compression part 16 is also formed by a plate, which can be hingedly or rigidly connected with the basic body 5

(8), but whose inclination angle can be adjusted by means of a screw (23). The angle of inclination <* of the compression plate 16 depends on the amount of product in the compressed hose 14. The angle of inclination is defined by the lines 13 and 15, which (20), can be adjusted between 0 ° and 45 ° in a continuous manner. The angles of the lever section (2) may also be adjusted to a greater extent. 20) there is provided a holding device 36 which secures the valve device. The lower face of the holding device 36 is the outlet 48 of the flexible tube 14.

Figures 1 and 2 furthermore recognize that the basic body 8 has apertures 39 for the hooks 43 which are attached to the basic body as well as apertures 37 for the positioner body 41. The vertical longitudinal sides of the basic body (8) have cutouts (33) and (35) in the upper region and the lower zone, which can be connected in a removable manner with the bosses of the carton (40). The actuation section (2) has a rectangular opening (27) in which a projection (25) of the retaining device can be fitted, the container (10) has in its region facing away from the flexible tube (14) a portion of (9), which ensures that the container does not fold, forming a belly, when for example it is half full. From the representation of the device in Figures 3 and 4 it can be deduced that the basic body 8 has two hooks 44 on which the container 10 which has two circular eyes 50 can be hung. In the lower region of the recess (10) two lugs (52) are also provided, in which two pegs (54) can be engaged. The container 10 is therefore attached to the top side * so that the movement of the lever 20 has no action on its position inside the carton. The lever 20 is in the form of a stirrup with two legs (56) and (58), which present in their lower region the fitting section (2). The legs 56 and 58 may oscillate in tqr

(58) and (58) are folded so as to be able to place the axis of oscillation (60) as far as possible on the axis of rotation of the axle (60) and take the positions shown in figures 5 to 7. area of the longitudinal median axis (62) of the flexible tube.

In this position of the lever 20, its best performance can be obtained experimentally. Apart from a few individual parts of the device, for example the pressure knob (24), the device may be made of plastic, the parts being manufactured by injection molding processes. By the suspension of the carton (40) a position of In this case, the emptied container 10 can be detached and replaced by a new one. Figs. 5, 6 and 7 show that when the lever is actuated (Fig. 20) in the direction of the arrow (1), the minimum distance (d) between the compression part (16) and the pressure surface (18) decreases until a position is reached in which the product in the flexible tube can drain upwards. From this moment on, the actuation of the lever (20) continues to exert pressure on the product in the flexible tube section, which causes the valve to open and the product in the flexible tube can exit out. The aperture 48 in this embodiment forms part of the valve device 12, which is preferably made as an overpressure valve. Which valve can be used for each product can be experimentally terminated and then assembled . In the case of liquid or pasty products, as already mentioned, an overpressure valve is conveniently used, while in the case of granular material a membrane valve with a groove can advantageously be used. After reaching the abutment position (Figure 7), the lever 20 is released, taking the initial position shown in FIG. 4. Thereafter, the product in the container 10 discharges (14), so that it fills and takes on the shape shown in fig. (5). Therefore, a new actuation of the device is possible.

Figures 8 and 9 show that the lever (20)

carries an adjustment device (3) which can take off in the direction of the double arrow (21), vertically. A groove (17) is formed in the lever (20) more or less in the middle and extending vertically, which is crossed by the rivet (19) with the head rivet connecting the adjusting device (3) with the lever ( 20). The adjusting device has a more or less U-shaped cross-section, its legs (4S) and (47) having several steps (5) and (7), through which the distance from the (16) to the compression surface (18). If less product is to be drawn out of the flexible tube 14, then the compression part 16 is supported by the lower step 5, while it rests on the upper step 7 in other cases. is easily accessible and can be acted upon, without the need to dismantle the device.

The advantages obtained with the present invention are in particular that the user only comes into contact with the product when the lever 20 acts. When the container 10 is replaced, the flexible tube 14 is also replaced, which is actuated mechanically when the lever (20) is operated. It is not to be here considered a deterioration or unfitness of the vaning wing since it has a distinctly harder and stronger resistance than the flexible tube. The flexible tube is in fact mechanically soldered, but its damaging effect is not cause, since it is replaced after a limited number of product distributions. - S -

Claims (1)

REPORTS '. A device for delivering flowable media which is placed in a container with an elastic tube having a valve device made of elastic deformable material with a fixed compression part as well as a lever capable of oscillating and having a compression surface for compressing a section of the flexible tube disposed between the compression portion and the compression surface below the aperture of the valve device and for delivering the medium which is in the flexible tube, and is wound through the outlet of the tube (14) is connected to a swingable section of the lever (20). The device according to claim 1, with a vertically extending flexible tube and a lever capable of oscillating about a (48) of the flexible tube (1.4) is disposed below the area of the lever (20). The device according to claim 1, (1), or claim 2, characterized in that the side of the user-facing lever (20) has a retention device (36), capable of being rigidly connected thereto, to the outlet (48). A device according to any one of claims 1 to 3, characterized in that the holding device (36) comprises an adjusting device and a holding section, the distance of which from the lever (20) can be adjusted continuously and fixed . 9 Device according to one of Claims 1 to 4, characterized in that the adjusting device has a handle capable of being retained in the outlet (48) * the distance of which from the lever (20) can be altered by means of an adjusting screw 6S- Device according to any one of claims 1 to 5, characterized in that the valve device is retained by the device according to one of Claims 1 to 6, characterized in that the compression surface (18) forms part of an articulated compression body in the lever (20). - 83 - Device according to any one of claims 1 to 7, characterized in that the compression body is elastically supported on the lever (20). A device according to any one of claims 1 to 8, characterized in that the articulated compression part (16) forms part of a plate body, the relative position of which with respect to the lever (20) can be changed Device according to one of Claims 1 to 9, characterized in that the rear face of the lever (20) and the compression part (16) each define a straight line (13, 15) and the straight lines (13, 15) intersect according to an angle (tfv) whose value depends on the working position of the compression part (16). Device according to claim 10, characterized in that the angle (?) Is less than 452. Device according to any one of claims 1 to 11, characterized in that the compression part (16) is hinged on The device according to any one of claims 1 to 12, characterized in that the flexible hose (14) and the container (10) form a part The apparatus of any one of claims 1 to 13, characterized in that the upper end of the flexible tube (14) is withdrawn by a holder (32) from the device. German patent application filed on December 22, 1889, under No. 39 42 512 * 6 * Lisbon, December 21, 1990. 0 AFFFIFTE! OFFICIAI PA PEOFKIEBABS MBUgMAIi