WO1996042001A1

WO1996042001A1 - Dispensing devices

Info

Publication number: WO1996042001A1
Application number: PCT/EP1996/002296
Authority: WO
Inventors: Brian Parry Slade
Original assignee: Quest International B.V.
Priority date: 1995-06-08
Filing date: 1996-05-29
Publication date: 1996-12-27

Abstract

Fluid dispensing means comprise a housing (2) forming part of a fluid container and having means (46) that form a dosing chamber with a piston (44). The piston is part of a plunger device (6) that includes a closure member (24) for an outlet valve so that an operating device (4) can jointly open the fluid outlet and eject the dosing chamber contents therethrough. The operating device comprises a collar (48) coaxial with and adjacent to an opposed wall section (18) of the housing. The user can grip the dispensing means in the gap (52) between these opposite parts and by squeezing create a wedging action that operates the plunger device to dispense fluid.

Description

DISPENSING DEVICES

This invention relates to fluid dispensing devices for containers and to fluid containers provided with dispensing devices.

There is a trend to providing many consumer liquid products in a more concentrated form, in order to reduce the container size, and more generally the amount of packaging required. To make use of such concentrated fluids economically, it is necessary to be able to control effectively the amounts that are dispensed from the container, in a manner which is repeatable.

It is an object of the present invention to provide dispensing means that can be employed for dispensing such fluid materials, although the invention is not necessarily limited thus.

According to one aspect of the invention, there is provided means for dispensing a fluid from a container, comprising a housing provided with means cooperating with a plunger device that is relatively displaceable thereto to form a dosing chamber from which fluid can be dispensed through an outlet passage by said relative displacement, the dispensing means further comprising an operating device having external elements on radially opposite sides of said outlet passage, said relative displacement being arranged to be effected by the application of a squeezing pressure to said operating device elements.

The elements may be so arranged that the squeezing pressure is applied by the user's forefinger and thumb as he holds the container into which the dispenser is incorporated. The fluid can thus be accurately directed as it is dispensed.

In one form of the invention the squeezing pressure is arranged to slide said operating device elements in the direction of said outlet passage. This can be done by providing the housing with an abutting surface confronting inclined surfaces of said operating device elements and at a spacing thereto such that said relative displacement can be effected by a wedging action of the user's fingers between said surface and said element when applying the squeezing pressure. In an alternative form, the elements may be flexibly deformable by the squeezing pressure.

In a preferred arrangement according to the first mentioned form of operating device, the elements are incorporated in a ring or collar that is slidably mounted on a tubular member incorporating the outlet passage. The squeezing pressure can then be applied to any radially opposite pair of regions of the outer surface of the ring or collar to cause it to slide along the tubular member.

In the handling of concentrates in particular it is usually important to ensure that the container is closed when not in use and another obiect of the invention in some of its forms is to provide a dispensing means in which an outlet for the ejected fluid is .opened in conjunction with the operation of the dispenser. Thus, according to a further aspect of the invention, means for dispensing a fluid from a container are provided with a plunger device comprising a piston member displaceable in a dosing space within a housing for ejecting fluid from the space through a valve- controlled outlet passage of the housing, said plunger device also comprising a closure member of the outlet passage valve, and operating means adjacent said outlet being connected to the plunger device to displace the ^■piston and closure members jointly.relative to the housing to eject fluid through.the outlet opened thereby. Said dosing space may be bounded by a peripheral wall slidably engaged by the piston member, but said member being spaced from the wall when said valve is closed.

It is of course possible to provide fluid dispensing means in accordance with the invention that is provided with a jointly operated piston member and valve member and that has said joint operation effected by squeezing pressure on radially opposite elements of an operating device. The invention will be described by way of example with reference to the accompanying drawings which are axial sectional views of one form of fluid dispensing means according to the invention fitted within the neck of the container.

Fig. 1 shows the dispensing means in a retracted state and Fig. 2 shows the means with the plunger device fully extended. The drawings illustrate only a portion of the body of a cylindrical container C to which the dispensing- means is secured by a sealed joint J. The dispensing means comprises three main parts each of circular cross- section, namely a housing 2 through which fluid leaves the container, an operating device 4 and a plunger device 6 for ejecting the fluid actuated by the operating device from the normally closed position shown in Fig. l.- The housing 2 comprises three cylindrical sections 12,14,16 of successively smaller diameters. The largest diameter rear section 12 has the joint J with the main body of the container and is joined by a frusto- conical section 18 to the intermediate diameter section 14. The operating device 4 is slidably mounted on the intermediate section 14 and includes an outlet nozzle 20 overlapping the smallest diameter section 16 of the housing which provides an outlet passage for the fluid in the container and has a tapered leading edge 22 forming a valve seat for a valve closure body 24 of the plunger device 6. The valve body 24 is integrally formed on an elongate stem 26 of the plunger device and the stem is secured centrally of the outlet passage in a holder 28 that comprises a series of three radial ribs 28a projecting inwards from a sleeve 28b fixed in the nozzle 20. The holder can of course be made integral with the nozzle 20.

Further rearwards, a plunger 32 comprising a piston 34 and an elongate spigot 36 is slidably mounted on the stem 26. A spring 38 between the frusto-conical housing section 18 and the piston 34 urges the plunger rearwards to hold it normally against a stop 40 on the rear of the stem. The spring pressure can then act through the stem 26 to hold the valve closure body 24 in sealing contact with the valve seat 22 so as to seal the outlet from the container.

Within the large diameter section 12 of the housing a rigid cylindrical sleeve 42 is sealed against the conical section 18. With the outlet valve 22,24 closed, as shown in Fig. 1, the piston 34 is held some distance rearwards of the sleeve 42. Chamfers 44,46 are provided on the opposed front outer edge of the piston and rear inner edge of the sleeve.

The operating device 4 comprises a ring-form pressure member or collar 48 with a frusto-conical rear face 50 inclined oppositely to the frusto-conical housing section 18 to form an annular, outwardly widening gap 52 with it. The dimensions are chosen so that, in the state of rest shown in Fig. 1, opposite faces at the radially outer region of the annular gap 52 can be grasped between the user's thumb and finger, in diametrically opposite regions of that gap.

II a radial pressure is now applied by squeezing the thumb and finger together, the housing and operating device are urged axially apart against the bias of the spring 38 and the operating device 4 therefore slides forwards relative to the housing 2. Because the stem 26 of the plunger device is fixed to the operating device, the closure body 24 is drawn off the valve seat 22 to open the outlet and simultaneously the piston 34 moves forwards to slide into the sleeve 42. In this movement the chamfers 44,46 centralize the piston and sleeve with each other. The piston and sleeve now enclose a dosing space sealed from the main volume of the container. As the forward movement continues, comprising the spring 38, the piston expresses the trapped fluid in front of it through the outlet nozzle until the plunger spigot 36 contacts the front end wall 54 between the intermediate and smallest sections 14,16 of the housing which acts as a forward stop for the plunger.

When the user releases the pressure of his grip, the spring 38 pushes the plunger device back. Until the outlet valve 22,24 closes again, air can be drawn into the container through the outlet passage to replace the fluid that has been discharged. Closure does not occur until after the piston 34 has disengaged from the sleeve 36, so ensuring that the internal pressure is balanced to the atmospheric pressure. The underface of the piston 34 may incline upwardly towards its outer edge to assist the escape of any air bubbles into the main volume of the container with the dispenser in the inverted position shown .

The movement of the operating device on the housing also opens and closes a void 56 between them. Openings such as the radial passages 58 illustrated allow air to flow freely to and from the void so that it does not interfere with the operation of the dispenser.

It is a feature of the arrangement described that, because of the cooperation of the piston 34 with the sleeve 42 and the provision of a forward stop between the parts 36,54 to set a fixed limit to the movement of the plunger inside the collar, that a fixed dose of the container contents can be discharged consistently. The device is therefore, particularly suitable for.metered dosing such as may be required for dispensing a concentrate, and is capable of dosing high viscosity fluids.

If the container is of a size to be held in the hand, it can be used one-handed with the single squeezing action described. Furthermore, the delivery of the fluid can be easily directed and controlled. The container can be suspended inverted, since an outlet valve is provided and used one-handed in that position without risk of it being displaced from its suspension support.

It may be arranged that unmetered dispensing of the fluid can be obtained alternatively, when required, by applying only a light squeezing pressure, insufficient to bring the piston 34 and sleeve 42 into sealing engagement, while the container is held inverted. By virtue of the seal provided by the valve 22,24 in the dispensing means in its state of rest, the container can remain free of leaks in any attitude and it can be arranged that the required quantity of fluid is delivered in a non-drip manner. If required, however, an outer closure can be secured to the container, shrouding the dispensing means, or a closure cap can be attached to the outlet nozzle.

In an unillustrated modification to improve the ease of operation a toroidal coil is located snugly in the gap 52, bearing on the opposed faces of the gap. The squeeze pressure is then transmitted to the ring-form member 48 through the coil.

It will be understood that the joint J can be made dismantleable to allow the container to be refilled, or that the dispensing means may be integral with the container.

Claims

1. Dispensing means for dispensing a fluid from a container and comprising a housing provided with means cooperating with a plunger device that is relatively displaceable thereto to form a dosing chamber from which fluid can be dispensed through an outlet passage by said relative displacement, the dispensing means further comprising an operating device having external elements on radially opposite sides of said outlet passage, said relative displacement being arranged to be effected by the application of a squeezing pressure to said, operating device elements.

2. Dispensing means according to claim 1 wherein said operating device is supported on the housing to be slidably displaceable thereon.

3. Dispensing means according to claim 1 or claim 2 wherein the housing means comprises a surface opposed to said elements of the operating device and at a spacing thereto such that said relative displacement can be effected by a wedging action of the user's fingers between said surface and said element when applying the squeezing pressure.

4. Dispensing means according to any one of the claims 1 to 3 wherein said external elements are provided by an annular member surrounding said outlet passage.

5. Dispensing means according to any one of the preceding claims wherein said plunger device comprises an elongate member projecting through said outlet passage and secured to the operating device.

6. Dispensing means according to claim 5 wherein said member of the plunger device carries a closure valve member for said outlet passage that is also displaceable by the operating device relative to a cooperating valve member on the housing.

7. Dispensing means according to claim 5 or claim 6 wherein the plunger device comprises a piston member supported on said member and urged by resilient means to a retracted position thereon from which the piston member is displaceable by said application of squeezing pressure.

8. Dispensing means according to claim 6 wherein said piston member is spaced from a surrounding wall of said dosing chamber when in its retracted position and is movable into sliding engagement with said wall by said squeezing pressure.

9. Dispensing means for dispensing a fluid from a container and having a plunger device comprising a piston member displaceable within a dosing space within a housing for ejecting fluid from the space through a valve-controlled outlet passage of the housing, said plunger device also comprising a closure member of the outlet passage valve, and operating means adjacent said outlet being connected to the plunger device to displace the piston and closure members jointly relative to the housing to eject fluid through the outlet opened thereby.

10. Dispensing means according to claim 9 wherein biasing means acts Upon the plunger device to urge it to a retracted position in which said outlet passage valve is closed.

.

11. Dispensing means according to claim 10 wherein said biasing means acts on the plunger device through said piston member and said member is displaceable against the force of said biasing means independently of the valve element .

12. Dispensing means according to any one of claims 9 to 11 wherein the piston member is located clear of the dosing space when in its retracted position.