US3419194A - Liquid-soap dispenser - Google Patents

Description

Dec. 31, 1968 J. LIPPMAN ET AL 3,419,194

LIQUID-SOAP DISPENSER Filed Sept. 25, 1967 Sheet INVENTOR. Jerome LiPpmQn A? Henn T. Orr

Attorneq Dec. 31, 1968 j UP ET AL 3,419,194

LIQUID-SOAP DISPENSER Filed Sept. 25, 1967 Sheet 2 of :5

l3 1 I4 INVENTOR.

3e rome Lmpmom & BY Henflj 3 Orr" Attorneg Dec. 31, 1968 J. LIPPMAN ET AL LIQUID-SOAP DISPENSER Sheet Filed Sept. 25, 1967 INVENTOR. Terome Llppmcm 8: Henry T- 0" Attorneg United States Patent 3,419,194 LIQUID-SOAP DISPENSER Jerome Lippman, 275 N. Portage Path, Akron, Ohio 44303, and Henry J. Orr, 2834 Vincent St., Cuyahoga Falls, Ohio 44221 Filed Sept. 25, 1967, Ser. No. 670,312 25 Claims. (Cl. 222-390) ABSTRACT OF THE DISCLOSURE Liquid-soap dispenser having screw-operated piston for pressurizing and dispensing liquid soap from cylindrical container, has annular gasket of elastic material normally loosely held between relatively fixed plate on operating screw, and movable plate axially movable relatively of fixed plate, permitting yielding manipulation of the gasket for selective easy movement of piston axially into or out of the container. With the piston mounted in the container, pressure of soap against movable plate clamps gasket against fixedly held plate, to compress the gasket and thereby expand the same radially outwardly into strong fluid-sealing engagement with container wall.

Background of invention The present invention relates to a soap dispenser of the type generally as shown and described in prior United States Patent No. 2,815,994, which included an improvement in a pressure-applying piston designed for selfadjusting conformity of a rubber-sealing gasket thereof to the inner walls of the dispenser containers, within plus or minus variations in given diameters of said walls. While the prior piston referred to provided a satisfactory fluid seal, it has been found that, in actual practice, insertion and removal of the piston from the containers was sometimes very difficult due to incompressibility of rubber gaskets in confined space, and especially so when said given wall diameters were on the minus side. Other known piston devices, such as those disclosed in the several references cited in Patent No. 2,815,994, were even less satisfactory from this standpoint.

Summary of invention In the present invention, a liquid soap dispenser of the general type disclosed in Patent No. 2,815,994, has a pist n threaded on a screw shaft, which is progressively rotatable to urge the piston inwardly within the container to compress soap therein. To overcome the aforesaid difficulties in inserting the piston within the container, it is formed as a unit including a relatively fixed outer plate screwed on the threaded shaft and an inner plate shiftably connected to the outer plate for limited axial movement thereon, and a resilient or elastic annular gasket normally loosely retained between superposed annular flanges on the two plates. The gasket may have a generally cylindrical outer edge of diameter approximating a given diameter of the container wall, for resilient, fluid-sealing engagement therewith. Accordingly, when the screw shaft is turned in known manner, the resultantly pressurized soap urges the lower plate toward the relatively fixed upper plate to compress the gasket between the superposed annular flanges, thereby to provide an effective fluid seal between the engaged surfaces of the gasket and the two flanges, and also to expand the material of the gasket radially outward against the container wall. Means may be provided to bypass pressurized fluid inwardly of the lower plate to an edge portion of the gasket exposed radially inwardly of the same, further to expand the gasket radially against the container wall.

One object of the present invention is to provide a soap or like dispenser of the character described with an im- 3,419,194 Patented Dec. 31, 1968 proved fiuid-pressurizing piston which is self-adjusting as a unit, in absence of pressurized soap within the soap dispenser container, to relax elastic sealing gasket in the piston unit for repeated easy passage into or out of the container, and to compress and distend the gasket into fluid-sealing relationship with the container wall when the piston is in pressurizing relation to the soap.

Another object of the invention is to provide an improved soap pressurizing piston of the character described which is self-operating to utilize the soap pressure to expand the elastic gasket into proportionately strong fluidsealing engagement wtih said container wall.

Still another object of the invention is to provide an improved piston device of the character described, including a said elastic gasket mounted between two relatively movable plates, wherein said elastic gasket is readily removable and replaceable without otherwise dissassembling said plates.

Other objects of the invention will be manifest from the following brief description and the accompanying drawings.

Of the accompanying drawings:

FIGURE 1 is a perspective view, partly broken away and in section, of a liquid-soap dispenser embodying the features of the invention, without soap in the same.

FIGURE 2 is an enlarged cross-section of an improved soap-pressurizing piston therein, as viewed substantially on the line 2-2 of FIGURE 1, to illustrate the inner or bottom side of the piston.

FIGURE 3 is a view of the upper or outer side of the piston shown apart from the dispenser, and on the same scale as FIGURE 2.

FIGURE 4 is an edge view of the piston shown in FIGURE 3.

FIGURE 5 is an exploded view of the piston shown in FIGURE 4.

FIGURE 6 is a fragmentary cross-section, on the same scale as FIGURES 2 to 4, showing the upper end of a full soap container of the dispenser of FIGURE 1, and illustrating the manner of easily positioning the piston of FIGURES 3 and 4 in the container, while mounted on a separable screw shaft of the dispenser.

FIGURE 7 is a view corresponding to FIGURE 6, but illustrating the piston in a contracted, soap-pressurizing condition within the container.

FIGURE 8 is a partial fragmentary view corresponding to FIGURE 7, but at a different location, to show mating parts for preventing rotation of a sealing gasket with reference to lost-motion mounting plates supporting the same.

Referring generally to FIGURE 1 of the drawings, and in particular to FIGURES 2 to 6, the numeral 10 designates a self-adjusting piston unit incorporating the features of the invention, including an outer plate 11, of rigid plastic or metal, formed with a downwardly extending, cylindrical hub portion 12, an inner plate 13 of similar rigid material having a central opening 14 in an upwardly dished central portion 15 of the same, for limited axial sliding reception of said hub portion 12 therethrough, and an annular, flat-sided gasket 16 of rubber or like fluidsealing elastic material retained in centered relation between superposed annular marginal flanges 17 and 18 on the outer and inner plates respectively, to have a substantial portion 16a of the gasket protruding freely. A plurality of peripherally spaced lug extensions 12a on the outer end of said hub portion 12 limit said axial floating movement of outer plate thereon so that the outer plate is freely movable toward and from fluidsealing, yielding engagement of said gasket between said flanges 17 and 18 (see FIGURES 6 and 7). Central portions of plates 11 and 13 may come together in axially contracted condition of the unit, for greater rigidity.

As best shown in FIGURES 4 and 5, the annular gasket 16 is of substantial thickness to define a generally cylindrical peripheral edge 20 in which an annular groove 21 of substantial depth is provided to permit a substantial amount of compression and flexure of the annular portion 16a of the gasket presented outwardly of the plate flanges 17 and 18 for purposes to be described later. The groove 21, thereby defines outer and inner peripheral lips 22 and 23 adapted to be yieldingly flexed relatively of each other. As movement of the piston unit against liquid soap tends to flex the inner lip 23 axially and nadially into effective sealing relation to the cylinder wall (see FIGURES 6, 7, and 8), this advantage may be increased by chamfering the underside of the inner lip at 24, to make it more flexible for conforming to irregularities in the container wall.

For purposes to be described later, the outer plate 11 may be formed with an annular V-shaped channel 26 defining a conical wall 27 which, in the contracted or compressed condition of the piston parts best shown in FIGURE 7, cooperates with an axially inwardly convergent inner conical face 28 of the gasket 16 to provide a slight clearance defining an annular soap-receiving passage 29, adapted to communicate with the pressurized soap body S through a relatively slight clearance, provided between mating portions of the outer and inner plates 11 and 12 and a similar clearance between plate 13 and hub 12 at the opening 14 of said plate. The conical mating relationship of gasket 16 and wall 27 serves as effective means for self-centering the gasket when the two plates are brought together. To prevent possible turning of the gasket with respect to the plates, which might hinder installation of the piston in a container C of soap S (see FIGURE 6), the gasket 16 may have a plurality of integral lugs 31, 31 for substantial mating reception in recesses 32, 32 in the channel wall 27 of the outer plate 11. A soap-receiving space 29a may be provided between each lug 31 and its recess wall 32a, to communicate with the recess 29 and the connecting inward spaces to said pressurized soap.

As best shown in FIGURE 1, for relatively fixedly, but axially adjustably mounting the piston unit in a soap container or can C, mounted in known manner on the base B of a soap dispenser D (see also FIGURES 2 and 6), the central hub 12 of the outer piston plate 11 may have formed or otherwise non-rotatably aflixed therein an internally threaded screw part or sleeve 33, for threaded connection on an externally threaded hollow screw shaft 34. Shaft 34, with the piston unit 10 partially threaded thereon, is axially slidably receivable on an upright rod 35 of the dispenser D, until the piston is yieldingly received within the container wall, and until the lower end of the shaft becomes keyed to the rod 35. By reciprocation of handle H on dispenser base B, the shaft 34, through a one-way clutch driving mechanism 38 of known type, may be unidirectionally rotated progressively to maintain the piston in pressurizing engagement with liquid soap within the contaner C. Ths rotaton is initially contnued until sufficient pressure is built up in the confined soap to compress the inner plate 13 axially toward the fixed outer plate 11, away from the stop lugs or extensions 12a, thereby yieldingly to compress the normally loose, uncompressed elastic gasket 16 toward fluid-sealing relationship between the plate flanges 17 and 18. Pressurized soap is additionally forced through the aforesaid clearance spaces to the annular recess 29 and spaces 29a, yieldingly to urge the gasket into further strong fluid-sealing relationship to the container wall. To this end, the inwardly convergent angle of the inner gasket face 28 assures that outward compressive forces applied by the soap will be directed toward the inner lip 23 for requisite fluid-sealing engagement thereof with the container wall at that point (see FIGURES 7 and 8).

The use or operation of the improved piston 10, shown in FIGURES 2 to 4, will be clearly understOod by reference to FIGURE 1, and by a description of the manner of replacing an empty soap can or container C with a full can, in the dispenser D. Accordingly, a clamping nut 37 is unscrewed from the upper end of screw shaft 34 to release a cap 36 holding the can C seated on base B. This allows the screw shaft 34 to be removed from the upright operating rod 35. The piston 10, retained on the screw shaft is then easily removed therewith from empty can, because the gasket 16 will be in loose, uncompressed condition between the plates 11 and 13, as shown in FIGURES 4 and 6.

A replacement can C, filled with liquid hand soap, for example, is then mounted in known manner on the dispenser base B, and the screw shaft 34 with piston unit 10 thereon is fitted back onto the upright operating rod 35. At the same time, the piston unit 10, with the gasket 16 in loose, uncompressed condition, is easily fitted into the can in the manner shown in FIGURE 6. When the screw shaft is properly positioned and keyed on rod 35, the cap 36 is clamped on upper end of the can C, by turning clamping nut 37 on the upper end of the shaft 34 against the cap to hold the can firmly seated in fluid-sealed relation on base B.

The handle H on base B now may be repeatedly reciprocated, and thereby through the one-way clutch operating mechanism 38 (see FIGURE 1) to rotate the upright rod 35 which in turn rotates the screw shaft 34. As the piston 10 is held against rotation by pressure contact of the gasket 16 with the cylindrical wall of the can C, continued rotation of the screw shaft urges the piston downwardly in the can until it compresses the liquid soap 8 therein toward a requisite degree of pressure for dispensing soap. As the soap pressure builds up in this way, the inner plate 13 is strongly urged toward the outer plate 11, which is in eifect relatively fixed on the screw shaft, until the gasket is yieldingly compressed between the annular flanges 17 and 18 of the outer and inner plates, respectively, thereby distending the outer wall 20 of the gasket toward tight fluid-sealing engagement with the cylindrical wall of can C. In addition, pressurized soap S is forced into the clearances between the plates, and into annular passage 29 and pockets 29a, yieldingly to compress and distend the gasket radially outwardly to assure strong fluid-sealing contact of the gasket surface portion 20 with the wall of the can. Due to the inwardly convergent nature of conical wall 28 of the gasket, this pressure applied thereto by the soap S is concentrated toward the inner gasket lip 23, where a strong sealing grip against the can wall is essential to normal use of the dispenser due to the fact that piston is progressively moved inwardly against the pressurized soap.

When requisite pressure is attained, short extents of soap are extruded through a nozzle N in the base B (see FIGURE 1), by applying single reciprocating strokes of the dispenser handle H, in known manner as required. Each such stroke progressively moves the piston 10 inwardly to maintain the soap body S in pressurized condition.

The improved piston unit 10 solves a vexing problem experienced in inserting prior pistons in cans of soap being mounted in soap dispensers, as well as the similarly vexing problem of removing the piston from the empty cans.

Modifications of the invention may be resorted to without departing from the spirit thereof or the scope of the appended claims.

What is claimed is:

1. A piston as for relatively applying internal pressure to fluid material within a cylindrical wall of a container, comprising: a disc unit including relatively fixed and movable outer and inner plates having axially spaced annular surfaces, and an annular gasket received between said surfaces; said gasket being of resilient material and of substantial thickness defining a radially outward, generally cylindrical peripheral edge of diameter approximating that of the cylindrical wall; means axially shiftably connecting said plates for limited axial floating movement of one said plate relatively of the other between extended and contracted conditions thereof in which said gasket is uncompressed and compressed, respectively, between said surfaces of the plates; whereby with said outer plate relatively fixed in use of said disc unit in the container, opposing pressure of the fluid within the container against said inner plate relatively moves the same toward contracted condition thereof to compress said gasket yieldingly between said annular surfaces tending to expand the gasket radially outwardly with respect to said cylindrical wall.

2. A piston as in claim 1, including means for substantially centering said annular gasket axially within the disc unit when said plates are relatively moved to contracted condition thereof.

3. A piston as in claim 2, said means for centering including an annular wall portion on said outer plate for centering reception within said gasket.

4. A piston as in claim 3, said means for centering providing an annular space into which said gasket is radially inwardly contractible by yielding reception of the same within said cylindrical wall while the gasket is otherwise in relatively uncompressed condition between said annular surfaces of said plates.

5. A piston as in claim 4, mating means being provided on said gasket and said outer plate for preventing relative rotation of the same.

6. A piston as in claim 5, said mating means including peripherally spaced recessed portions in said outer plate and peripherally spaced lugs on said gasket for substantially complemental reception in said recesses.

7. A piston as in claim 6, passage means being provided between said outer and inner plates, operable in contracted condition thereof for outward passage of pressurized fluid material to said annular space to pressurize the radially inward edge of the gasket, yieldingly to distend the gasket into correspondingly increased fluid-sealing engagement with said cylindrical wall.

8. A piston as in claim 7, said radially inward edge of said gasket being axially inwardly convergent to direct the force applied thereto by the pressurized fluid toward the lower lip of said cylindrical peripheral edge of the gasket.

9. A piston as in claim 1, passage means being provided between said outer and inner plates in the contracted condition thereof to provide for outward passage of said pressurized fluid to the radially inward edge of said gasket, thereby yieldingly to distend the gasket radially outwardly into correspondingly increased, fluid-sealing engagement of said cylindrical edge thereof with the cylindrical wall.

10. A piston as in claim 1, passage means being provided between said outer and inner plates in the contracted condition thereof to provide for outward passage of said pressurized fluid to the radially inward edge of said gasket, thereby yieldingly to distend the gasket radially outwardly into correspondingly increased, fluid-sealing engagement of said cylindrical edge thereof with the cylindrical wall, said radially inward edge of said gasket being axially inwardly convergent to direct the force applied thereto by the pressurized fluid toward the lower lip of said cylindrical peripheral edge of the gasket.

11. A piston as in claim 1, passage means being provided between said outer and inner plates in the contracted condition thereof to provide for outward passage of said pressurized fluid to the radially inward edge of said gasket, thereby yieldingly to distend the gasket radially outwardly into correspondingly increased, fluid-sealing engagement of said cylindrical edge thereof with the cylindrical wall, said radially inward edge of said gasket being axially inwardly convergent to direct the force applied thereto by the pressurized fluid toward the lower lip of said cylindrical peripheral edge of the gasket, including means for substantially centering said annular gasket axially within the disc unit when said plates are relatively moved to contracted condition thereof.

12. A piston as in claim 1, passage means being provided between said outer and inner plates in the contracted condition thereof to provide for outward passage of said pressurized fluid to the radially inward edge of said gasket, thereby yieldingly to distend the gasket radially outwardly into correspondingly increased, fluid-sealing engagement of said cylindrical edge thereof with the cylindrical wall, said radially inward edge of said gasket being axially inwardly convergent to direct the force applied thereto by the pressurized fluid toward the lower lip of said cylindrical peripheral edge of the gasket, including means for substantially centering said annular gasket axially within the disc unit when said plates arerelatively moved to contracted condition thereof; said means for centering providing an annular space into which said gasket is radially inwardly contractible by yielding reception of the same within said cylindrical Wall while the gasket is otherwise in relatively uncompressed condition between said annular surfaces of said plates.

13. A piston as in claim 1, passage means being provided between said outer and inner plates in the contracted condition thereof to provide for outward passage of said pressurized fluid to the radially inward edge of said gasket, thereby yieldingly to distend the gasket radially outwardly into correspondingly increased, fluid-sealing engagement of said cylindrical edge thereof with the cylindrical wall, said radially inward edge of said gasket being axially inwardly convergent to direct the force applied thereto by the pressurized fluid toward the lower lip of said cylindrical peripheral edge of the gasket, including means for substantially centering said annular gasket axially within the disc unit when said plates are relatively moved to contracted condition thereof; said means for centering providing an annular space into which said gasket is radially inwardly contractible by yielding reception of the same within said cylindrical Wall while the gasket is otherwise in relatively uncompressed condition between said annular surfaces of said plates; mating means being provided on said gasket and said outer plate for preventing relative rotation of the same.

14. The combination with a soap or like dispenser having a base, means for fixedly supporting a cylindrical container of fluid soap on said base, a screw shaft rotatably mounted on said base to extend upright through-said container of soap, and means for selectively rotating said screw shaft, of a piston within said container, comprising a disc unit including relatively fixed and movable outer and inner plates provided with axially spaced annular surfaces, and an annular gasket received between said surfaces, said gasket being of resilient material and of substantial thickness defining a radially outward, generally cylindrical peripheral edge of diameter approximating that of the cylindrical wall; said outer plate having hub means shiftably connecting said inner plate for limited axial movement of the plates relative of each other between axially extended and contracted conditions; said hub means having threaded connection with said screw shaft for rotation of the outer plate to relatively fixed positions of use within the container, in which opposing pressure of the fluid within the container against said inner plate relatively moves the same toward contracted condition thereof to compress said gasket yieldingly in to fluid-sealing relation between said annular surfaces tending to expand the gasket radially outwardly against said cylindrical wall.

15. The combination with a soap dispenser as in claim 14, including means for substantially centering said annular gasket axially within the disc unit when said plates are relatively moved to contracted condition thereof.

16. The combination with a soap dispenser as in claim 15, said means for centering including an annular wall portion on said outer plate for centering reception Within said gasket.

17. The combination with a soap dispenser as in claim 16, said means for centering providing an annular space into which said gasket is radially inwardly contractible by yielding reception of the same within said cylindrical wall while the gasket is otherwise in relatively uncompressed condition between said annular surfaces of said plates.

18. The combination Wit-h a soap dispenser as in claim 17, mating means being provided on said gasket and said outer plate for preventing relative rotation of the same.

19. The combination with a soap dispenser as in claim 18, said mating means including peripherally spaced recessed portions in said outer plate and peripherally spaced lugs on said gasket for substantially complemental reception in said recesses.

20. The combination with a soap dispenser as in claim 19, passage means being provided between said outer and inner plates, operable in contracted condition thereof for outward passage of pressurized fluid material to said am nular space to pressurize the radially inward edge of the gasket, yieldingly to distend the gasket into correspondingly increased fluid-sealing engagement with said cylindrical wall.

21. The combination as in claim 14, passage means being provided between said outer and inner plates in the contracted condition thereof to provide for outward passage of said pressurized fluid to the radially inward edge of said gasket, thereby yieldingly to distend the gasket radially outwardly into correspondingly increased, fluidsealing engagement of said cylindrical edge thereof with the cylindrical wall.

22. The combination as in claim 14, passage means being provided between said outer and inner plates in the contracted condition thereof to provide for outward passage of said pressurized fluid to the radially inward edge of said gasket, thereby yieldingly to distend the gasket radially outwardly into correspondingly increased, fluidsealing engagement of said cylindrical edge thereof with the cylindrical wall.

23. The combination as in claim 14, passage means being provided between said outer and inner plates in the contracted condition thereof to provide for outward passage of said pressurized fluid to the radially inward edge of said gasket, thereby yieldingly to distend the gasket radially outwardly into correspondingly increased, fluidsealing engagement of said cylindrical edge thereof with the cylindrical wall, said radially inward edge of said gasket being axially inwardly convergent to direct the force applied thereto by the pressurized fluid toward the lower lip of said cylindrical peripheral edge of the gasket,

including means for substantially centering said annular gasket axially within the disc unit when said plates are relatively moved to contracted condition thereof.

24. The combination as in claim 14, passage means being provided between said outer and inner plates in the contracted condition thereof to provide for outward passage of said pressurized fluid to the radially inward edge of said gasket, thereby yieldingly to distend the gasket radially outwardly into correspondingly increased, fluidsealing engagement of said cylindrical edge thereof with the cylindrical wall, said radially inward edge of said gasket being axially inwardly convergent to direct the force applied thereto by the pressurized fluid toward the lower lip of said cylindrical peripheral edge of the gasket, including means for substantially centering said annular gasket axially within the disc unit when said plates are relatively moved to contracted condition thereof, said means for centering providing an annular space into which said gasket is radially inwardly contractible by yielding reception of the same within said cylindrical wall while the gasket is otherwise in relatively uncompressed condition between said annular surfaces of said plates.

25. The combination as in claim 14, passage means being provided between said outer and inner plates in the contracted condition thereof to provide for outward passage of said pressurized fluid to the radially inward edge of said gasket, thereby yieldingly to distend the gasket radially outwardly into correspondingly increased, fluidsealing engagement of said cylindrical edge thereof with the cylindrical wall, said radially inward edge of said gasket being axially inwardly convergent to direct the force applied thereto by the pressurized fluid toward the lower lip of said cylindrical peripheral edge of the gasket, including means for substantially centering said annular gasket axially within the disc unit when said plates are relatively moved to contracted condition thereof, said means for centering providing an annular space into which said gasket is radially inwardly contractible by yielding reception of the same within said cylindrical wall while the gasket is otherwise in relatively uncompressed condition between said annular surfaces of said plates, mating means being provided on said gasket and said outer plate for preventing relative rotation of the same.

References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 2,080,856 5/1937 Thomas 222390 X 2,815,994 12/1957 Lippman et al.

SAMUEL F. COLEMAN, Primary Examiner.

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