WO2003011473A1

WO2003011473A1 - Dispensing device

Info

Publication number: WO2003011473A1
Application number: PCT/EP2002/007580
Authority: WO
Inventors: Taro Hoshina; Mitsuyoshi Shimamura
Original assignee: Unilever Plc; Unilever Nv; Hindustan Lever Limited
Priority date: 2001-07-31
Filing date: 2002-07-08
Publication date: 2003-02-13
Also published as: GB0118649D0

Abstract

A device for dispensing one liquid mixed with at least one other liquid comprising a housing with a primary reservoir (2) for the one liquid and individual secondary reservoirs (14) for a plurality of said other liquids; a nozzle and a pump mechanism for driving liquid form the primary reservoir (2) along a primary path and discharging it from the nozzle; and a mechanism for selectively coupling the primary path to outlets from the secondary reservoirs (14) to entrain one or more other liquids in liquid flowing in the primary path whereby a mixture of the primary liquid with at least one other liquid is discharged from the nozzle, the secondary reservoirs (14) being arranged with their outlets disposed along the circumference of a circle, and the coupling mechanism including a body rotatable to selectively align a port coupled with the primary path to a said outlet.

Description

DISPENSING DEVICE

FIELD OF THE INVENTION

This invention relates to devices for dispensing liquids, and particularly such devices which are adapted to mix a secondary liquid with a primary diluent liquid and discharge the mixture through a nozzle. Such devices are particularly useful in the undertaking of household tasks in which one of a variety of secondary concentrated liquids are to be used in dilute form mixed with water.

BACKGROUND TO THE INVENTION

Various devices for mixing and dispensing multiple liquid components have been proposed. Examples of such devices are disclosed in International Patent Publication Nos .

WO95/30491 assigned to Precept Design Consultants Pic, and W096/25236 assigned to Contico International, Inc. WO95/30491 particularly discloses a number of configurations of mixture dispensing devices, in which liquid is pumped from a primary reservoir past the outlet of one of a selection of secondary reservoirs in which the concentrated liquid is stored. The passage of the primary liquid entrains secondary liquid from the selected secondary reservoir which then mixes with the primary liquid and is dispensed from a nozzle. BRIEF SUMMARY

The present invention provides a device for dispensing one liquid mixed with at least one other liquid comprising a housing with a primary reservoir for the one liquid and plurality of individual secondary reservoirs for said other liquids; a nozzle and a pump mechanism for driving liquid from the primary reservoir along a primary path and discharging it from the nozzle; and a mechanism for selectively coupling the primary path to outlets from the secondary reservoirs to entrain one or more other liquids in liquid flowing in the primary path whereby a mixture of the primary liquid with at least one other liquid is discharged from the nozzle, the secondary reservoirs being arranged with their outlets disposed along the circumference of a circle, and the coupling mechanism including a body rotatable to selectively align a port coupled with the primary path to a said outlet of a secondary reservoir.

DESCRIPTION OF PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

In preferred embodiments of the invention the coupling mechanism comprises a secondary duct merging with a primary duct forming the primary path from the primary reservoir to the pump mechanism. The secondary duct is moved relative to the primary duct to selectively connect its distal end to each of the secondary reservoir outlets. Each of these primary and secondary ducts can be substantially inflexible, with the primary duct extending from the primary reservoir along the axis of the circle containing the secondary reservoir outlets, with the secondary duct being rotatable about this same axis. The secondary duct can be rotatable relative to the primary duct itself, but as this will require a sliding seal between the two ducts, it is preferred that the primary and secondary ducts are fixedly connected, and rotatable together about the secondary reservoir outlet axis .

To facilitate the selective coupling of the primary path to the outlets from the secondary reservoirs in a device according to the invention, the attachment for selective coupling to the secondary reservoir outlets can be mounted in a body rotatable about the axis of the secondary reservoir outlet circle, and movable parallel thereto to selectively engage a respective outlet and the secondary path. Conveniently, the attachment and a secondary duct for carrying the secondary liquid to the primary path are fixed in the body, with the body being movable parallel to the secondary reservoir outlets circle axis, to effect selective engagement of a secondary reservoir outlet to the secondary duct .

In order to avoid contamination of liquid in the primary reservoir, a check valve is located in the primary path to prevent liquid flowing back into the primary reservoir. A check valve can also be disposed in the secondary duct and/or each respective path of liquid from each secondary reservoir, once again to prevent backflow contamination of liquid within a said secondary reservoir. This latter check valve can readily be disposed in each secondary reservoir outlet . The check valves may be selected from any one way valve e.g. a duckbill valve, spring biased ball etc. A metering orifice may be fitted in the path of liquid from each secondary reservoir. This orifice will restrict the flow of secondary liquid to the primary path, and thereby control the mixing ratio between the primary and a selected secondary liquid. If required, a metering orifice can also be fitted in the primary path. Different secondary reservoirs may be associated with different sizes of metering orifices.

In a device according to the invention each secondary reservoir preferably comprises a cartridge removably mounted on a housing, which will itself normally form the primary reservoir. In such a device having an upper and a lower end, and a longitudinal axis, the primary reservoir is located in the lower end of the device, with the primary path of liquid therefrom extending (normally upwards) along the housing longitudinal axis. Each cartridge is resiliently received in one of the plurality of compartments disposed around the longitudinal axis of the device. Preferably, each cartridge is generally elongate, and has its longitudinal axis substantially aligned with the longitudinal axis of the device as a whole.

Of course, with any mixing device of this kind, there is a risk of liquid from one of the reservoirs backflowing into one of the other reservoirs leading to contamination. This prevented by the use of check valves discussed above, and as a further feature, a device according to the present invention can include a flush path which can be selectively opened to carry liquid directly from the primary reservoir to the pump mechanism to flush the system through. The invention will now be described by way of example and with reference to the accompanying drawings, wherein: .

Figure 1 is a schematic exploded view of a dispensing device according to the invention;

Figure 2 is a longitudinal cross-section taken along the line A-A of Figure 1;

Figure 3 is a longitudinal cross-section taken along line B- B of Figure 1;

Figure 4 is an enlarged partial longitudinal cross-section through a secondary reservoir as shown in Figure 2.

A dispensing device according to the invention is illustrated in Figures 1 to 3. The basic components of the device are a water reservoir 2 , a spray head 4 , and a primary path along which water is drawn from the reservoir 2 and discharged from the spray head 4. The primary path is defined by a dip tube 6 which carries water to a mixing chamber 8, whence it is discharged through a duct 10 to the pumping mechanism in the spray head 4. Details of the pumping mechanism are not shown. Such mechanisms are well known in the art.

Arranged around the upper part of the reservoir 2 , and held in recesses 12 in the reservoir housing body, are 4 secondary reservoirs for secondary liquids such as concentrated detergents, disinfectant or other liquid. The upper ends of the secondary reservoir 14 are enclosed by a lower manifold 16 which is mounted on the reservoir housing. The lower ends of the cartridges 14 are retained by a circumferential flange 17 upstanding from a rotatable base 18. The circumferential flange 17 has a cut away portion (not shown) extending the width of a reservoir 14 to facilitate removal and replacement of a secondary reservoir 14.

Each secondary reservoir 14 comprises a plug 20 located in the neck. The plug 20 has a central bore which is in communication with a dipped tube 22 which extends to the bottom of the secondary reservoir so that it may be completely emptied. The lower end of the dip tube 22 is fitted with a metering cap 24 having a central metering orifice 26. The metering orifice 26 regulates the amount of liquid which is dispensed from the secondary container during actuation of the pumping mechanism. In general, the diameter of the metering orifice is in the range 0.2 to 0.8 millimetres depending upon the amount of liquid to be dispensed, its viscosity and specific gravity.

The opening 28 of the central bore in the plug 20 is flared to facilitate location of the secondary reservoir 14 in the lower manifold 16 by insertion of the connector tube 30 in the central bore of the plug 20. The central bore of the plug 20 has a valve comprising a metal ball 32 and spring 34. When the secondary reservoir is separated from the lower manifold 16 the spring 34 biases the ball against a shoulder region in the central bore thereby sealing the bore and preventing leakage of liquid from the secondary reservoir. When the secondary reservoir 14 is located in the lower manifold 16, a downwardly depending peg 38 on the connector tube 30 of the lower manifold 16 moves the metal ball against its spring bias to allow passage of liquid through the dip tube 20 and central bore of the plug.

The plug 20 additionally comprises an air vent 40 with an associated flat valve to allow ingress of air into the secondary reservoir as liquid is displaced and to prevent passage of liquid from the reservoir through the air vent 40. The outer portion of the neck 44 is provided with a thread so that a screw cap (not shown) may be applied over the neck to completely seal the secondary reservoir when it is separated from the lower manifold.

The lower manifold 16 comprises four stations for location of secondary reservoirs 14. Each location comprises a connector tube 34 insertion in the central bore of the plug 20 of a secondary reservoir. The connector tube 30 is in communication with a lower manifold outlet 44. Each outlet 44 is surrounded by an O-ring seal 46 which is supported on a carrier 48 biased upwardly by a means of a spring 50 to ensure the O-ring makes a seal with the upper manifold 52. The lower manifold 16 further comprises an outlet 54, similarly surrounded by an O-ring seal. Outlet 54 is in communication with a purging dip tube 56 which extends into the water reservoir 2. The outlets 44 and 54 are positioned on the circumference of a circle about the central axis of the device .

The upper manifold 52 comprises a secondary duct 58 which extends from inlet 60 to central primary duct 62. The inlet 60 is positioned so that it may be selectively located over the individual outlets 44 and 54 of the lower manifold upon rotation of the upper manifold 52. The primary duct 62 is in communication at its lower end with the dip tube 6 of the water reservoir 2. In order to prevent backflow from the spray head into the reservoir, a valve 64 is positioned between the primary duct 62 and the dip tube 6. The valve 64 comprises a metal ball 66 which rests on a constriction 68 thereby preventing flow of liquid downwardly from the primary duct to the dip tube 6. The metal ball may be spring biased. The secondary duct 68 also comprises a valve to prevent backflow from the primary duct. The valve may be a duckbill valve or spring biased ball valve .

In use, the spray head 4 is removed by undoing cap 70. As the spray head 4 is removed the duct 10 separates from the primary duct 62. The water reservoir 2 is then filled with water and the spray head replaced and the nut 70 fastened.

Secondary reservoirs 14 are inserted in the device by removing the cap from the reservoir, rotating the base of the device 18 until the cutaway portion is aligned with the respective recess in the water reservoir to accommodate the secondary reservoir and inserting the secondary reservoir 14 so that the connector tube 30 of the lower manifold enters the opening 28 in the plug 20 of the secondary reservoir. The base 18 is rotated so that the circumferential flange 17 engages the base of the secondary reservoir to secure the reservoir in place.

When it is desired to spray a particular liquid, the upper manifold 52 is rotated relative to the lower manifold 16. The spray head 4 and dip tube 6 are secured to the upper manifold 52 and rotate with the upper manifold. The upper manifold is aligned such that the inlet 6 is positioned over the outlet 44 in the lower manifold 16 which is associated with the desired liquid concentrate. Actuation of the pump causes water from the reservoir 2 to pass up the dip tube 6 through the primary duct 62 to the spray head 4.

Simultaneously, concentrate from the reservoir 14 passes through the metering orifice 26, up the dip tube 22 into the secondary duct 58 and enters the primary duct 62 where it is mixed with the water coming from the reservoir 2. The flow of liquid from the water and secondary reservoirs is shown by the arrows on Figure 2. When spraying ceases, backflow of liquid to the secondary reservoir 14 and water reservoir 2 is prevented by the backflow valves.

The user may select to spray different liquids by simply rotating the upper manifold 52 to align the inlet 60 with the appropriate outlet 44. It will be appreciated that a small amount of the previous liquid which was sprayed will remain in the secondary duct 58 and the primary duct 62. Accordingly, it may be desirable to purge this liquid prior to selecting a different liquid to be sprayed. In order to purge the device, the upper manifold 52 is rotated to align the inlet 60 with the purging outlet 54 (Figure 3). Actuation of the pump causes water to flow from the water reservoir 2 through dip tube 6 into the primary duct and also water flows from the water reservoir 2 through the purging dip tube 56 into the secondary duct 58 and then into the primary duct 62. The flow path of the water during the purging cycle is shown in Figure 3.

Claims

1. A device for dispensing one liquid mixed with at least one other liquid comprising a housing with a primary reservoir for the one liquid and plurality of individual secondary reservoirs for said other liquids; a nozzle and a pump mechanism for driving liquid from the primary reservoir along a primary path and discharging it from the nozzle; and a mechanism for selectively coupling the primary path to outlets from the secondary reservoirs to entrain one or more other liquids in liquid flowing in the primary path whereby a mixture of the primary liquid with at least one other liquid is discharged from the nozzle, the secondary reservoirs being arranged with their outlets disposed along the circumference of a circle, and the coupling mechanism including a body rotatable to selectively align a port coupled with the primary path to a said outlet of a secondary reservoir.

2. A device according to Claim 1 wherein the primary path is formed by a primary duct extending from the primary reservoir to the pump mechanism, and wherein the coupling mechanism comprises a secondary duct merging with the primary duct, the secondary duct being movable to selectively connect its distal end to each of the secondary reservoir outlets.

3. A device according to Claim 2 wherein both the primary and the secondary ducts are substantially inflexible, the primary duct extending from the primary reservoir along the axis of said circle and the second duct being rotatable about said axis.

4. A device according to Claim 3 wherein the primary and secondary ducts are fixedly connected and rotatable together about said axis.

5. A device according to Claim 3 or Claim 4 wherein the distal end of the secondary ducts is mounted in a body rotatable about said axis to selectively engage a secondary reservoir outlet .

6. A device according to any preceding claim wherein all the secondary reservoir outlets are oriented in a direction parallel to the axis of said circle.

7. A device according to any preceding claim wherein the primary path is formed with a primary check valve to prevent the backflow of secondary liquid back towards the primary reservoir, and wherein the path of liquid from each secondary reservoir includes a secondary check valve to prevent backflow of liquid thereunto.

8. A device according to any one of Claims 2 to 7 which comprises a secondary check valve in the secondary duct to prevent backflow of liquid to a secondary reservoir.

9. A device according to any preceding claim wherein a metering orifice is disposed in the path of liquid from a secondary reservoir.

10. A device according to any preceding claim wherein each secondary reservoir is a cartridge removably mounted on the housing.

11. A device according to Claim 10 wherein each cartridge is resiliently received in one of a plurality of compartments disposed around said longitudinal axis.

12. A device according to Claim 11 wherein each cartridge is generally elongate and has a longitudinal axis that aligns with the longitudinal axis of the device.

13. A device according to any preceding claim wherein the primary reservoir is a refillable and integral part of the housing.

14. A device according to any preceding claim including a flush path selectively operable to carry liquid directly from the primary reservoir to the flush ducts outside the secondary reservoir and the pump mechanism.

15. A device according to any preceding claim wherein each secondary reservoir outlet comprises a valve to prevent passage of liquid therefrom when the reservoir is separated from the device .