US20080264974A1 - Liquid dispenser - Google Patents
Liquid dispenser Download PDFInfo
- Publication number
- US20080264974A1 US20080264974A1 US12/111,018 US11101808A US2008264974A1 US 20080264974 A1 US20080264974 A1 US 20080264974A1 US 11101808 A US11101808 A US 11101808A US 2008264974 A1 US2008264974 A1 US 2008264974A1
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- Prior art keywords
- liquid
- spout assembly
- dispensing
- stopping member
- container
- Prior art date
- Legal status (The legal status is an assumption and is not a legal conclusion. Google has not performed a legal analysis and makes no representation as to the accuracy of the status listed.)
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- B—PERFORMING OPERATIONS; TRANSPORTING
- B05—SPRAYING OR ATOMISING IN GENERAL; APPLYING FLUENT MATERIALS TO SURFACES, IN GENERAL
- B05B—SPRAYING APPARATUS; ATOMISING APPARATUS; NOZZLES
- B05B11/00—Single-unit hand-held apparatus in which flow of contents is produced by the muscular force of the operator at the moment of use
- B05B11/0005—Components or details
- B05B11/0062—Outlet valves actuated by the pressure of the fluid to be sprayed
- B05B11/007—Outlet valves actuated by the pressure of the fluid to be sprayed being opened by deformation of a sealing element made of resiliently deformable material, e.g. flaps, skirts, duck-bill valves
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- B—PERFORMING OPERATIONS; TRANSPORTING
- B05—SPRAYING OR ATOMISING IN GENERAL; APPLYING FLUENT MATERIALS TO SURFACES, IN GENERAL
- B05B—SPRAYING APPARATUS; ATOMISING APPARATUS; NOZZLES
- B05B11/00—Single-unit hand-held apparatus in which flow of contents is produced by the muscular force of the operator at the moment of use
- B05B11/01—Single-unit hand-held apparatus in which flow of contents is produced by the muscular force of the operator at the moment of use characterised by the means producing the flow
- B05B11/10—Pump arrangements for transferring the contents from the container to a pump chamber by a sucking effect and forcing the contents out through the dispensing nozzle
Definitions
- the invention relates generally to liquid dispensers, and more particularly to liquid dispenser spout assemblies for dispensing liquids.
- liquid dispensers such as a liquid soap dispenser
- a container for containing the liquid or fluid to be dispensed
- a discharger for dispensing a predetermined amount of liquid therefrom.
- a typical discharger employs a manually or automatically actuated reciprocating pump attached to the container.
- FIG. 1 shows a conventional liquid dispenser 1 formed from a plastic bottle 2 and a conventional pump and spout assembly 3 mounted to the bottle with a threaded cap 4 .
- the illustrated pump and spout assembly 3 is manually actuated.
- a tube 5 extends downward from the pump and spout assembly 3 to just above the bottom of the bottle 2 so that the pump and spout assembly 3 is in fluidic communication with liquid 6 contained in the bottle 2 .
- the bottle 2 contains a liquid such as liquid soap, lotion, disinfectant, and the like.
- the liquid 6 is dispensed by pushing downwardly on the pump and spout assembly 3 , the liquid 6 being drawn up through the tube 5 (by way of a vacuum or by way of applied pressure “P”) and then discharged from an opening 7 in a direction as shown by arrow 8 .
- a spring mechanism returns it to the ready position for further manipulation.
- the conventional liquid dispensers have employed a curved or bowed spout, as shown in FIG. 1 , to minimize dripping subsequent to operation of the dispenser.
- a substantially vertical discharge would be preferred in many cases, but such orientations often results in dripping, particularly if the liquid being dispensed is of low viscosity.
- the curved spout helps minimize dripping, but it ejects the dispensed liquid with a lateral component as suggested by the arrow 8 such that liquid may miss the operator's hands and be wasted or worse, may splash the operator's body clothing on accident.
- the invention provides a liquid dispenser apparatus.
- the apparatus includes a container for housing a liquid, and a spout assembly for dispensing spurts of liquid from the container.
- the spout assembly comprises a stopping member for stopping the dripping of the liquid after each dispensing operation.
- the stopping member comprises a resilient membrane.
- the resilient membrane is configured to bend outward under pressure from the liquid when the liquid is dispensed, and to retract when the liquid is not being dispensed.
- the resilient membrane may include a plurality of flap portions.
- the spout assembly may further include an outlet portion and a coupler for coupling the stopping member to the outlet portion.
- the stopping member has a central opening
- the coupler includes a projection for extending through the central opening of the stopping member, and one or more openings for dispensing the liquid.
- the spout assembly may further include a connector portion, the outlet portion being configured to removably couple to the connector portion.
- the stopping member includes a rotatable member having one or more openings.
- the rotatable member is configured to rotate to expose at least one of the openings to an outlet of the spout assembly for dispensing the liquid from the container, and to rotate to a closed position when not dispensing the liquid.
- the spout assembly is configured to face substantially toward a ground level.
- the invention provides a spout assembly for a liquid dispenser.
- the spout assembly includes a stopping member for stopping dripping of the liquid after each dispensing.
- the stopping member includes a resilient membrane, and the resilient membrane is configured to bend outward under a pressure from the liquid dispenser, and to retract when the pressure is released.
- the resilient membrane includes a plurality of flap portions.
- the stopping member includes a rotatable member having one or more openings, and the rotatable member is configured to rotate to expose at least one of the openings to an outlet of the spout assembly for dispensing the liquid and to rotate to a closed position when not dispensing liquid.
- the stopping member has a central opening
- the coupler includes a projection for extending through the central opening of the stopping member, and one or more openings for dispensing the liquid.
- the spout assembly further includes a connector portion, and the outlet portion is configured to removably couple to the connector portion.
- the invention provides a method of dispensing liquid.
- the method includes providing a container for housing a liquid, and providing a spout assembly for dispensing spouts of the liquid from the container.
- Providing the spout assembly includes providing a stopping member for stopping dripping of the liquid after each dispensing.
- the stopping member comprises providing a resilient membrane, and the resilient membrane is configured to bend outward under pressure from the liquid from the container when the container is under a pressure, and to retract when the pressure is released.
- the resilient membrane includes a plurality of flap portions.
- providing the stopping member includes providing a rotatable member having one or more openings.
- the method further includes rotating the stopping member to expose at least one of the openings to an outlet of the spout assembly for dispensing the liquid from the container, and to rotate to a closed position when not dispensing liquid.
- the spout assembly may further include a connector portion, and providing the outlet portion includes removably coupling the outlet portion to the connector portion.
- providing the spout assembly comprises facing the spout assembly substantially toward a ground level.
- the method may further include replacing one of the container, the spout assembly, and the stopping member.
- a liquid dispenser apparatus includes a container for housing a liquid, and a spout assembly for dispensing spouts of the liquid from the container.
- the spout assembly includes a stopping member for stopping dripping of the liquid after each dispensing, thereby allowing the spout assembly to face substantially toward a ground level to avoid splashing a user with liquids.
- FIG. 1 is a side view of a conventional liquid dispenser
- FIG. 2 is a perspective view of a liquid dispenser in accordance with a preferred embodiment of the invention.
- FIG. 3 is a top plan view of the liquid dispenser of FIG. 2 ;
- FIG. 4 is a bottom plan view of the liquid dispenser of FIG. 2 ;
- FIG. 5 is a side elevation view of the liquid dispenser of FIG. 2 ;
- FIG. 6 is front elevation view of the liquid dispenser of FIG. 2 ;
- FIG. 7 is rear elevation view of the liquid dispenser of FIG. 2 ;
- FIG. 8 is a close-up cross-sectional view of the liquid dispenser's spout assembly in accordance with a preferred embodiment of the invention.
- FIG. 9 is a bottom plan view of the spout assembly of FIG. 8 ;
- FIG. 10 is an exploded view of a spout assembly in accordance with an alternative embodiment of the invention.
- FIG. 11 is a perspective view of an alternative stopping member of a spout assembly in accordance with yet another embodiment of the invention.
- FIGS. 2 through 9 A preferred embodiment of a liquid dispenser apparatus is illustrated in FIGS. 2 through 9 and designated generally by the reference numeral 20 .
- the liquid dispenser apparatus 20 is uniquely configured to avoid splashing liquids toward the user rather than to the desired location (e.g., the hands), and to prevent inadvertent dripping of the liquid after each use.
- the preferred liquid dispenser apparatus 20 includes a container, housing, or bottle, 22 as a reservoir for the liquid to be dispensed during many uses.
- a dispensing assembly 23 which is of particular interest to the invention, is coupled to the bottle 22 through a cap 24 .
- the dispensing assembly 23 comprises a neck portion 25 and a spout assembly 26 .
- the bottle 22 is typically disposed on a surface 27 (or otherwise held in a desired location by any suitable means).
- the surface 27 may be, for example, a surface of a table or a stand parallel to the ground level.
- An axis 29 extending along the spout assembly 26 which is also the direction in which the liquid or fluid is dispensed, forms an angle ⁇ with the surface 27 or the ground level. In a preferred embodiment, the angle ⁇ is about 90°. As more clearly shown in the side elevation view of FIG.
- the preferred spout assembly 26 is substantially perpendicular to the neck portion 25 , i.e., the angle ⁇ between the axis 25 a of the neck portion 25 and the axis 29 of the spout assembly 26 is about 90°.
- Such a substantially vertical configuration of the spout assembly 26 is not normally used in conventional liquid dispensers, such as that shown in FIG. 1 , because of dripping issues.
- the pump and spout assembly 3 is arced, or curved, or bowed, and the dispensed liquid spout needs to travel along a forward direction indicated by the arrow 8 before reaching the user's hand, to reduce the dripping after each use.
- such a configuration may cause the liquid to splash the user.
- FIGS. 3-7 provide a top plan view, a bottom plan view, a side elevation view, a front elevation view, and a back elevation view of the liquid dispenser apparatus 20 .
- the construction and operation of the preferred dispenser can be best understood by referring to these figures in conjunction with FIGS. 8 and 9 .
- FIG. 8 shows a close-up cross-sectional view of the dispensing assembly 23 in accordance with a preferred embodiment of the invention.
- liquid is forced upward from the bottle 22 , and then horizontally through a passage in the neck portion 25 along the direction shown as arrow 30 , and downward through the spout assembly 26 .
- the preferred spout assembly 26 comprises an outlet portion 34 , and a connector portion 36 .
- the outlet portion 34 may be threadably coupled to the connector portion 36 using threads 38 .
- threads 38 may be used to couple the outlet portion 34 and the connector portion 36 .
- the preferred outlet portion 34 can be easily attached to the connector portion 36 during assembly, and can be easily removed from the spout assembly 26 for cleaning to avoid clogging, or for replacement.
- the preferred outlet portion 34 comprises a stopping member 32 , which may be removably, or fixedly, coupled to a coupler 40 of the outlet portion 34 by stretching an aperture in its center around and beyond an expanded head of a projection 40 d of the coupler 40 .
- the stopping member 32 can be easily replaced if needed.
- the stopping member 32 is composed of a resilient membrane that is pushed open by the pressure from the liquid as indicated by arrows 42 . When the pressing force 28 is released, the stopping member 32 retracts back to its original position adjacent the coupler indicated by a plane 40 a .
- the resilient force of the stopping member 32 contributes to the retraction of the stopping member 32 .
- a suction force inside the bottle 22 when the pressing force 28 is released may also assist in sealing the stopping member 32 against the coupler 40 .
- the preferred stopping member 32 has a traveling range “d” from the retracted, closed position 40 a to the extended, open position 40 b .
- the preferred stopping member 32 is formed from a silicone membrane, or any other alcohol resistant rubber. Other materials may be used with equal utility.
- FIG. 9 is a sectional view of the spout assembly 26 of FIG. 8 taken along section lines 43 - 43 .
- the relationship of the stopping member 32 relative to the coupler 40 is well illustrated (see also FIG. 4 .).
- the stopping member 32 is formed from a single resilient membrane that is substantially circular in shape and configured to cover a plurality of openings 40 a , 40 b , 40 c on the coupler 40 when in its substantially flat or retracted position. Although three (3) openings are shown, those of ordinary skill in the art will recognize that fewer or more openings may be included.
- FIG. 10 is a sectional view of the spout assembly 26 that is similar to FIG. 8 , but having an alternative spout assembly 43 .
- the alternative spout assembly 43 comprises a stopping member 46 having a plurality of resilient flap portions 46 a , 46 b , 46 c that extend outward from a common ring-shaped portion and that can independently, or collectively, open or close.
- the stopping member 46 has a central opening 46 d , through which a projection 49 d of the coupler 49 extends, thus allowing the stopping member 46 to be coupled to the outlet portion 48 .
- the outlet portion 48 has an inner threaded section 50 configured to be coupled to the outer threaded section 54 of the connector portion 52 .
- FIG. 11 is a perspective view of a second alternative stopping member which comprises a rotatable member 56 .
- the rotatable member 56 is formed from a rigid material, such as plastic, and has a plurality of openings 56 a , 56 b , 56 c .
- the rotatable member 56 is driven by a rotating mechanism 56 d to rotate as indicated by arrow 58 , to align one or more of the openings 56 a , 56 b , 56 c with one or more openings/outlets of a coupler, thus dispensing the liquid when appropriate and preventing dripping when the dispensing operation has been completed.
- the rotation may be driven by liquid pressure, or by spring forces in synchronization with the liquid pressure changes.
- the rotating mechanism 56 d may be any means known to those of ordinary skill in the art.
- bottle 22 is filled/replenished with liquids such as an alcohol-based disinfectant or detergent.
- the bottle 22 may be disposable, and may be pre-filled with liquids that are not to be replenished.
- the dispensing assembly 23 may be pressed manually in the direction shown with the arrow 28 ( FIG. 8 ).
- an automatic mechanism known to those of ordinary skill in the art can be employed. Liquid is forced or drawn upward through the neck portion 25 along the direction shown as arrow 30 , toward the spout assembly 26 .
- the resilient membrane of the stopping member bends outward under pressure from the liquid.
- a portion of liquid is dispensed out of the spout assembly 26 .
- the liquid is drawn back from the neck portion 25 along a direction opposite to the arrow 30 , toward the bottle 22 .
- the resilient membrane of the stopping member retracts under its own resilient force, thereby stopping the liquid from dripping.
- the spout assembly 26 , the stopping member 32 , or the outlet portion 40 may be easily disassembled for cleaning and for replacing parts.
Abstract
A liquid dispenser apparatus includes a container for housing a liquid, and a spout assembly for dispensing spouts of the liquid from the container. The spout assembly includes a stopping member for stopping dripping of the liquid after each dispensing, thereby allowing the spout assembly to face substantially toward a ground level to avoid splashing a user with liquids.
Description
- This application is a continuation-in-part of prior application Ser. No. 29/278,004, entitled “LIQUID DISINFECTANT DISPENSER,” filed on Mar. 15, 2007, now pending, and also of prior application Ser. No. 29/278,005, entitled “LIQUID DISINFECTANT DISPENSER SPOUT,” filed on Mar. 15, 2007, now pending.
- 1. Field of the Invention
- The invention relates generally to liquid dispensers, and more particularly to liquid dispenser spout assemblies for dispensing liquids.
- 2. Description of Prior Art and Related Information
- Various liquid dispensers, such as a liquid soap dispenser, have a container for containing the liquid or fluid to be dispensed, and a discharger for dispensing a predetermined amount of liquid therefrom. A typical discharger employs a manually or automatically actuated reciprocating pump attached to the container.
-
FIG. 1 shows a conventional liquid dispenser 1 formed from aplastic bottle 2 and a conventional pump andspout assembly 3 mounted to the bottle with a threaded cap 4. The illustrated pump andspout assembly 3 is manually actuated. Atube 5 extends downward from the pump andspout assembly 3 to just above the bottom of thebottle 2 so that the pump andspout assembly 3 is in fluidic communication withliquid 6 contained in thebottle 2. Thebottle 2 contains a liquid such as liquid soap, lotion, disinfectant, and the like. Theliquid 6 is dispensed by pushing downwardly on the pump andspout assembly 3, theliquid 6 being drawn up through the tube 5 (by way of a vacuum or by way of applied pressure “P”) and then discharged from an opening 7 in a direction as shown by arrow 8. When the pump andspout assembly 3 is released, a spring mechanism returns it to the ready position for further manipulation. - The conventional liquid dispensers have employed a curved or bowed spout, as shown in
FIG. 1 , to minimize dripping subsequent to operation of the dispenser. A substantially vertical discharge would be preferred in many cases, but such orientations often results in dripping, particularly if the liquid being dispensed is of low viscosity. The curved spout helps minimize dripping, but it ejects the dispensed liquid with a lateral component as suggested by the arrow 8 such that liquid may miss the operator's hands and be wasted or worse, may splash the operator's body clothing on accident. - There remains a need, therefore, for an improved liquid dispenser that provides a vertical discharge spout to prevent waste or accidental splashes during operation and that minimizes dripping to prevent waste and unintended discharge subsequent to operation.
- In one aspect, the invention provides a liquid dispenser apparatus. The apparatus includes a container for housing a liquid, and a spout assembly for dispensing spurts of liquid from the container. The spout assembly comprises a stopping member for stopping the dripping of the liquid after each dispensing operation.
- In one embodiment, the stopping member comprises a resilient membrane. The resilient membrane is configured to bend outward under pressure from the liquid when the liquid is dispensed, and to retract when the liquid is not being dispensed. The resilient membrane may include a plurality of flap portions.
- The spout assembly may further include an outlet portion and a coupler for coupling the stopping member to the outlet portion. In one embodiment, the stopping member has a central opening, and the coupler includes a projection for extending through the central opening of the stopping member, and one or more openings for dispensing the liquid.
- The spout assembly may further include a connector portion, the outlet portion being configured to removably couple to the connector portion.
- In an alternative embodiment, the stopping member includes a rotatable member having one or more openings. The rotatable member is configured to rotate to expose at least one of the openings to an outlet of the spout assembly for dispensing the liquid from the container, and to rotate to a closed position when not dispensing the liquid.
- In a preferred embodiment, the spout assembly is configured to face substantially toward a ground level. An axis of the spout assembly, along which the liquid is dispensed, forms an angle of about 90 degrees relative to the ground level.
- In another aspect, the invention provides a spout assembly for a liquid dispenser. The spout assembly includes a stopping member for stopping dripping of the liquid after each dispensing.
- In a preferred embodiment, the stopping member includes a resilient membrane, and the resilient membrane is configured to bend outward under a pressure from the liquid dispenser, and to retract when the pressure is released. In one embodiment, the resilient membrane includes a plurality of flap portions.
- In an alternative embodiment, the stopping member includes a rotatable member having one or more openings, and the rotatable member is configured to rotate to expose at least one of the openings to an outlet of the spout assembly for dispensing the liquid and to rotate to a closed position when not dispensing liquid.
- In one embodiment, the stopping member has a central opening, and the coupler includes a projection for extending through the central opening of the stopping member, and one or more openings for dispensing the liquid. In one embodiment, the spout assembly further includes a connector portion, and the outlet portion is configured to removably couple to the connector portion.
- In another aspect, the invention provides a method of dispensing liquid. The method includes providing a container for housing a liquid, and providing a spout assembly for dispensing spouts of the liquid from the container. Providing the spout assembly includes providing a stopping member for stopping dripping of the liquid after each dispensing.
- Preferably, the stopping member comprises providing a resilient membrane, and the resilient membrane is configured to bend outward under pressure from the liquid from the container when the container is under a pressure, and to retract when the pressure is released. In one embodiment, the resilient membrane includes a plurality of flap portions.
- In one embodiment, providing the stopping member includes providing a rotatable member having one or more openings. The method further includes rotating the stopping member to expose at least one of the openings to an outlet of the spout assembly for dispensing the liquid from the container, and to rotate to a closed position when not dispensing liquid. The spout assembly may further include a connector portion, and providing the outlet portion includes removably coupling the outlet portion to the connector portion.
- In one embodiment, providing the spout assembly comprises facing the spout assembly substantially toward a ground level.
- The method may further include replacing one of the container, the spout assembly, and the stopping member.
- In summary, a liquid dispenser apparatus includes a container for housing a liquid, and a spout assembly for dispensing spouts of the liquid from the container. The spout assembly includes a stopping member for stopping dripping of the liquid after each dispensing, thereby allowing the spout assembly to face substantially toward a ground level to avoid splashing a user with liquids.
- The invention, now having been briefly summarized, may be better visualized by turning to the following drawings wherein like elements are referenced by like numerals.
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FIG. 1 is a side view of a conventional liquid dispenser; -
FIG. 2 is a perspective view of a liquid dispenser in accordance with a preferred embodiment of the invention; -
FIG. 3 is a top plan view of the liquid dispenser ofFIG. 2 ; -
FIG. 4 is a bottom plan view of the liquid dispenser ofFIG. 2 ; -
FIG. 5 is a side elevation view of the liquid dispenser ofFIG. 2 ; -
FIG. 6 is front elevation view of the liquid dispenser ofFIG. 2 ; -
FIG. 7 is rear elevation view of the liquid dispenser ofFIG. 2 ; -
FIG. 8 is a close-up cross-sectional view of the liquid dispenser's spout assembly in accordance with a preferred embodiment of the invention; -
FIG. 9 is a bottom plan view of the spout assembly ofFIG. 8 ; -
FIG. 10 is an exploded view of a spout assembly in accordance with an alternative embodiment of the invention; and -
FIG. 11 is a perspective view of an alternative stopping member of a spout assembly in accordance with yet another embodiment of the invention. - The invention and its various embodiments can now be better understood by turning to the following detailed description wherein illustrated embodiments are described. It is to be expressly understood that the illustrated embodiments are set forth as examples and not by way of limitations on the invention as ultimately defined in the claims.
- A preferred embodiment of a liquid dispenser apparatus is illustrated in
FIGS. 2 through 9 and designated generally by thereference numeral 20. Theliquid dispenser apparatus 20 is uniquely configured to avoid splashing liquids toward the user rather than to the desired location (e.g., the hands), and to prevent inadvertent dripping of the liquid after each use. - As shown in the perspective view of
FIG. 2 , the preferredliquid dispenser apparatus 20 includes a container, housing, or bottle, 22 as a reservoir for the liquid to be dispensed during many uses. A dispensingassembly 23, which is of particular interest to the invention, is coupled to thebottle 22 through acap 24. The dispensingassembly 23 comprises aneck portion 25 and aspout assembly 26. - As show in the exemplary configuration of
FIG. 2 , thebottle 22 is typically disposed on a surface 27 (or otherwise held in a desired location by any suitable means). Thesurface 27 may be, for example, a surface of a table or a stand parallel to the ground level. Anaxis 29 extending along thespout assembly 26, which is also the direction in which the liquid or fluid is dispensed, forms an angle α with thesurface 27 or the ground level. In a preferred embodiment, the angle α is about 90°. As more clearly shown in the side elevation view ofFIG. 5 , thepreferred spout assembly 26 is substantially perpendicular to theneck portion 25, i.e., the angle β between theaxis 25 a of theneck portion 25 and theaxis 29 of thespout assembly 26 is about 90°. - Such a substantially vertical configuration of the
spout assembly 26 is not normally used in conventional liquid dispensers, such as that shown inFIG. 1 , because of dripping issues. For example, in the conventional liquid dispenser 1 shown inFIG. 1 , the pump and spoutassembly 3 is arced, or curved, or bowed, and the dispensed liquid spout needs to travel along a forward direction indicated by the arrow 8 before reaching the user's hand, to reduce the dripping after each use. However, such a configuration may cause the liquid to splash the user. These drawbacks in the conventional liquid dispensers are overcome by embodiments of the claimed invention, as described in more detail below. -
FIGS. 3-7 provide a top plan view, a bottom plan view, a side elevation view, a front elevation view, and a back elevation view of theliquid dispenser apparatus 20. The construction and operation of the preferred dispenser can be best understood by referring to these figures in conjunction withFIGS. 8 and 9 . - Referring now to
FIG. 8 , this figure shows a close-up cross-sectional view of the dispensingassembly 23 in accordance with a preferred embodiment of the invention. When the dispensingassembly 23 is pressed in the direction shown asarrow 28, liquid is forced upward from thebottle 22, and then horizontally through a passage in theneck portion 25 along the direction shown asarrow 30, and downward through thespout assembly 26. - The
preferred spout assembly 26 comprises anoutlet portion 34, and aconnector portion 36. Theoutlet portion 34 may be threadably coupled to theconnector portion 36 usingthreads 38. Those of ordinary skill in the art will recognize that other means for coupling are possible between theoutlet portion 34 and theconnector portion 36. Thepreferred outlet portion 34 can be easily attached to theconnector portion 36 during assembly, and can be easily removed from thespout assembly 26 for cleaning to avoid clogging, or for replacement. - As shown, the
preferred outlet portion 34 comprises a stoppingmember 32, which may be removably, or fixedly, coupled to acoupler 40 of theoutlet portion 34 by stretching an aperture in its center around and beyond an expanded head of aprojection 40 d of thecoupler 40. The stoppingmember 32 can be easily replaced if needed. In accordance with a preferred embodiment of the invention, the stoppingmember 32 is composed of a resilient membrane that is pushed open by the pressure from the liquid as indicated byarrows 42. When thepressing force 28 is released, the stoppingmember 32 retracts back to its original position adjacent the coupler indicated by aplane 40 a. The resilient force of the stoppingmember 32 contributes to the retraction of the stoppingmember 32. A suction force inside thebottle 22 when thepressing force 28 is released may also assist in sealing the stoppingmember 32 against thecoupler 40. - As shown in
FIG. 8 , the preferred stoppingmember 32 has a traveling range “d” from the retracted,closed position 40 a to the extended,open position 40 b. Where alcohol is to be dispensed, the preferred stoppingmember 32 is formed from a silicone membrane, or any other alcohol resistant rubber. Other materials may be used with equal utility. -
FIG. 9 is a sectional view of thespout assembly 26 ofFIG. 8 taken along section lines 43-43. Here, the relationship of the stoppingmember 32 relative to thecoupler 40 is well illustrated (see alsoFIG. 4 .). - In the preferred embodiment of
FIGS. 2-9 , the stoppingmember 32 is formed from a single resilient membrane that is substantially circular in shape and configured to cover a plurality ofopenings coupler 40 when in its substantially flat or retracted position. Although three (3) openings are shown, those of ordinary skill in the art will recognize that fewer or more openings may be included. -
FIG. 10 is a sectional view of thespout assembly 26 that is similar toFIG. 8 , but having analternative spout assembly 43. As shown, thealternative spout assembly 43 comprises a stoppingmember 46 having a plurality ofresilient flap portions member 46 has acentral opening 46 d, through which aprojection 49 d of thecoupler 49 extends, thus allowing the stoppingmember 46 to be coupled to theoutlet portion 48. Theoutlet portion 48 has an inner threadedsection 50 configured to be coupled to the outer threadedsection 54 of theconnector portion 52. -
FIG. 11 is a perspective view of a second alternative stopping member which comprises arotatable member 56. Therotatable member 56 is formed from a rigid material, such as plastic, and has a plurality ofopenings rotatable member 56 is driven by arotating mechanism 56 d to rotate as indicated byarrow 58, to align one or more of theopenings rotating mechanism 56 d may be any means known to those of ordinary skill in the art. - In the following, a method of dispensing liquids is summarized with reference to the drawings. As shown in
FIG. 2 ,bottle 22 is filled/replenished with liquids such as an alcohol-based disinfectant or detergent. Alternatively, thebottle 22 may be disposable, and may be pre-filled with liquids that are not to be replenished. In the case of manual dispensing, the dispensingassembly 23 may be pressed manually in the direction shown with the arrow 28 (FIG. 8 ). Alternatively, an automatic mechanism known to those of ordinary skill in the art can be employed. Liquid is forced or drawn upward through theneck portion 25 along the direction shown asarrow 30, toward thespout assembly 26. The resilient membrane of the stopping member bends outward under pressure from the liquid. A portion of liquid is dispensed out of thespout assembly 26. When thepressing force 28 is released from thedispenser assembly 23, the liquid is drawn back from theneck portion 25 along a direction opposite to thearrow 30, toward thebottle 22. The resilient membrane of the stopping member retracts under its own resilient force, thereby stopping the liquid from dripping. Thespout assembly 26, the stoppingmember 32, or theoutlet portion 40 may be easily disassembled for cleaning and for replacing parts. - Many alterations and modifications may be made by those having ordinary skill in the art without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention. Therefore, it must be understood that the illustrated embodiments have been set forth only for the purposes of examples and that they should not be taken as limiting the invention as defined by the following claims. For example, notwithstanding the fact that the elements of a claim are set forth below in a certain combination, it must be expressly understood that the invention includes other combinations of fewer, more or different ones of the disclosed elements.
- The words used in this specification to describe the invention and its various embodiments are to be understood not only in the sense of their commonly defined meanings, but to include by special definition in this specification the generic structure, material or acts of which they represent a single species.
- The definitions of the words or elements of the following claims are, therefore, defined in this specification to not only include the combination of elements which are literally set forth. In this sense it is therefore contemplated that an equivalent substitution of two or more elements may be made for any one of the elements in the claims below or that a single element may be substituted for two or more elements in a claim. Although elements may be described above as acting in certain combinations and even initially claimed as such, it is to be expressly understood that one or more elements from a claimed combination can in some cases be excised from the combination and that the claimed combination may be directed to a subcombination or variation of a subcombination.
- Insubstantial changes from the claimed subject matter as viewed by a person with ordinary skill in the art, now known or later devised, are expressly contemplated as being equivalently within the scope of the claims. Therefore, obvious substitutions now or later known to one with ordinary skill in the art are defined to be within the scope of the defined elements.
- The claims are thus to be understood to include what is specifically illustrated and described above, what is conceptually equivalent, what can be obviously substituted and also what incorporates the essential idea of the invention.
Claims (22)
1. A liquid dispenser apparatus, comprising:
a container for housing a liquid; and
a spout assembly for dispensing liquid from the container,
wherein the spout assembly comprises a stopping member for stopping dripping of the liquid after each dispensing.
2. The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein:
the stopping member comprises a resilient membrane, and wherein the resilient membrane is configured to bend outward under pressure from the liquid being dispensed and to retract when the liquid is not being dispensed.
3. The apparatus of claim 2 , wherein:
the resilient membrane comprises a plurality of flap portions.
4. The apparatus of claim 2 , wherein:
the spout assembly further comprises:
an outlet portion; and
a coupler for coupling the stopping member to the outlet portion.
5. The apparatus of claim 4 , wherein the stopping member has a central opening, and wherein the coupler comprises:
a projection for extending through the central opening of the stopping member; and
one or more openings for dispensing the liquid.
6. The apparatus of claim 4 , wherein the spout assembly further comprises a connector portion, and wherein the outlet portion is configured to removably couple to the connector portion.
7. The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein:
the stopping member comprises a rotatable member having one or more openings, and wherein the rotatable member is configured to rotate to expose at least one of the openings to an outlet of the spout assembly for dispensing the liquid from the container, and to rotate to a closed position when not dispensing the liquid.
8. The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein:
the spout assembly is configured to face substantially toward a ground level.
9. The apparatus of claim 8 , wherein:
an axis of the spout assembly, along which the liquid is dispensed, forms an angle of about 90 degrees to the ground level.
10. A spout assembly for a liquid dispenser, comprising:
a stopping member for stopping dripping of the liquid after each dispensing.
11. The spout assembly of claim 10 , wherein:
the stopping member comprises a resilient membrane, and wherein the resilient membrane is configured to bend outward under a pressure from the liquid dispenser, and to retract when the pressure is released.
12. The spout assembly of claim 11 , wherein:
the resilient membrane comprises a plurality of flap portions.
13. The spout assembly of claim 10 , wherein:
the stopping member comprises a rotatable member having one or more openings, and wherein the rotatable member is configured to rotate to expose at least one of the openings to an outlet of the spout assembly for dispensing the liquid and to rotate to a closed position when not dispensing liquid.
14. The spout assembly of claim 13 , wherein the stopping member has a central opening, and wherein the coupler comprises:
a projection for extending through the central opening of the stopping member; and
one or more openings for dispensing the liquid.
15. The spout assembly of claim 13 , further comprising a connector portion, wherein the outlet portion is configured to removably couple to the connector portion.
16. A method of dispensing liquid, comprising:
providing a container for housing a liquid; and
providing a spout assembly for dispensing spouts of the liquid from the container,
wherein providing the spout assembly comprises providing a stopping member for stopping dripping of the liquid after each dispensing.
17. The method of claim 16 , wherein:
providing the stopping member comprises providing a resilient membrane, and wherein the resilient membrane is configured to bend outward under pressure from the liquid from the container when the container is under a pressure, and to retract when the pressure is released.
18. The method of claim 17 , wherein:
the resilient membrane comprises a plurality of flap portions.
19. The method of claim 16 , wherein:
providing the stopping member comprises providing a rotatable member having one or more openings, the method further comprising:
rotating the stopping member to expose at least one of the openings to an outlet of the spout assembly for dispensing the liquid from the container, and to rotate to a closed position when not dispensing the liquid.
20. The method of claim 19 , wherein the spout assembly further comprises a connector portion, and wherein providing the outlet portion comprises removably coupling the outlet portion to the connector portion.
21. The method of claim 16 , wherein:
providing the spout assembly comprises facing the spout assembly substantially toward a ground level.
22. The method of claim 16 , further comprising replacing one of the container, the spout assembly, and the stopping member.
Priority Applications (1)
Application Number | Priority Date | Filing Date | Title |
---|---|---|---|
US12/111,018 US20080264974A1 (en) | 2007-03-15 | 2008-04-28 | Liquid dispenser |
Applications Claiming Priority (3)
Application Number | Priority Date | Filing Date | Title |
---|---|---|---|
US29/278,004 USD567652S1 (en) | 2007-03-15 | 2007-03-15 | Liquid disinfectant dispenser |
US29/278,005 USD567653S1 (en) | 2007-03-15 | 2007-03-15 | Liquid disinfectant dispenser spout |
US12/111,018 US20080264974A1 (en) | 2007-03-15 | 2008-04-28 | Liquid dispenser |
Related Parent Applications (1)
Application Number | Title | Priority Date | Filing Date |
---|---|---|---|
US29/278,004 Continuation-In-Part USD567652S1 (en) | 2007-03-15 | 2007-03-15 | Liquid disinfectant dispenser |
Publications (1)
Publication Number | Publication Date |
---|---|
US20080264974A1 true US20080264974A1 (en) | 2008-10-30 |
Family
ID=39885763
Family Applications (1)
Application Number | Title | Priority Date | Filing Date |
---|---|---|---|
US12/111,018 Abandoned US20080264974A1 (en) | 2007-03-15 | 2008-04-28 | Liquid dispenser |
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US (1) | US20080264974A1 (en) |
Cited By (11)
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GB2478713A (en) * | 2010-03-15 | 2011-09-21 | Pump World Inc | An anti-splash fluid dispensing nozzle |
US8814007B2 (en) | 2010-12-31 | 2014-08-26 | Medline Industries, Inc. | Dispenser with directional flow controlling flange and corresponding systems |
USD822501S1 (en) * | 2016-06-09 | 2018-07-10 | Mary Kay Inc. | Container |
US11020755B2 (en) * | 2014-11-28 | 2021-06-01 | Kao Corporation | Foam dispensing container |
USD949022S1 (en) * | 2016-08-17 | 2022-04-19 | Conopco, Inc. | Container |
USD986743S1 (en) | 2020-12-07 | 2023-05-23 | Conopeo, Inc. | Container |
USD1000280S1 (en) | 2020-12-07 | 2023-10-03 | Conopco, Inc. | Container |
USD1001642S1 (en) | 2020-12-07 | 2023-10-17 | Conopco, Inc. | Container |
USD1011922S1 (en) | 2020-12-07 | 2024-01-23 | Conopco, Inc. | Container with pump |
USD1012717S1 (en) | 2020-12-18 | 2024-01-30 | Conopco, Inc. | Bottle |
USD1012724S1 (en) | 2020-12-18 | 2024-01-30 | Conopco, Inc. | Bottle with pump |
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USD1012724S1 (en) | 2020-12-18 | 2024-01-30 | Conopco, Inc. | Bottle with pump |
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Legal Events
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AS | Assignment |
Owner name: SOAPTRONIC INTERNATIONAL, LLC, CALIFORNIA Free format text: ASSIGNMENT OF ASSIGNORS INTEREST;ASSIGNORS:BINDERBAUER, HORST;BINDERBAUER, MICHL;FRANCHETTO, RENATO;REEL/FRAME:021258/0740 Effective date: 20080619 |
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STCB | Information on status: application discontinuation |
Free format text: ABANDONED -- FAILURE TO RESPOND TO AN OFFICE ACTION |