WO2008012494A1

WO2008012494A1 - Dispensing apparatus

Info

Publication number: WO2008012494A1
Application number: PCT/GB2007/002431
Authority: WO
Inventors: David Seymour
Original assignee: Everbuild Building Products Ltd
Priority date: 2006-07-26
Filing date: 2007-06-29
Publication date: 2008-01-31
Also published as: GB0614814D0; EP2043789A1

Abstract

Dispensing apparatus for dispensing material from a cartridge (2) in which retaining means are arranged to receive an end (30) of a cartridge and retain the cartridge to the body (34) of the apparatus during use wherein the retaining means includes a least one deformable member (40) arranged to engage at leas part of the external surface of the cartridge.

Description

Dispensing Apparatus

The present invention relates to apparatus for use in dispensing material from a cartridge.

It is well known in the art to provide dispensing apparatus in the form of a handheld caulking gun, which supports a cartridge containing material to be dispensed. The gun allows pressure to be applied to the cartridge in a controlled manner so as to ensure correct dispensing of material from a cartridge nozzle. Once all the material within the cartridge has been dispensed, the cartridge can be removed and replaced.

Such apparatus has been used for decades and the conventional gun arrangement takes the form of a handle arrangement provided on a supporting frame. The supporting frame extends along the length of the cartridge in order to hold the cartridge securely in place for pressure to be applied. Pressure is then applied by a plunger arrangement which is actuated by a lever and which arrangement moves against a sealing piston in the cartridge which is arranged to travel along the length of the cartridge causing material to be dispensed through the nozzle at the far end of the cartridge as it does so.

Whilst such conventional arrangements are functionally apt, they are bulky since the frame is required to be of similar dimensions to those of the cartridges and the frame can obstruct access to the area to which the material is to be applied. Furthermore, when a cartridge is to be removed, the plunger arrangement must first be completely retracted in order to allow removal of the cartridge from the frame. Since the plunger arrangement is generally provided with a non-return mechanism, the removal of a cartridge becomes laborious since the non-return mechanism must first be disengaged before the plunger can be retracted. As such, the removal of a cartridge is a two-handed operation requiring three separate steps, namely (1) releasing the nonreturn mechanism with one hand, (2) retracting the plunger from the cartridge with the other hand, and finally (3) lifting the cartridge out of the enclosing frame.

It is known to provide a dispensing gun in which gripping elements are provided extending from the body adjacent the plunger rod to grip the internal surface of the cartridge when loaded in the gun, as described in WO2005/097354. However, this arrangement has the disadvantage that the plunger has to be released and fully retracted to release the cartridge from the gun, as means on the end of the plunger are responsible for disengaging the gripping elements at the body from the cartridge. In addition, the gun is not suitable for receiving cartridges of different diameter or wall thicknesses because the distance between the outer perimeter of the plunger and the inner surface of the receiving recess is fixed.

In view of the forgoing problems, it is an aim of the present invention to provide dispensing apparatus for which the process of attaching and removing cartridges is simplified.

A further aim of the invention is to provide dispensing apparatus with reduced dimensions.

A further aim of the invention is to provide dispensing apparatus capable of receiving cartridges of different sizes.

According to the present invention there is provided dispensing apparatus for dispensing material from a cartridge comprising: a body portion; retaining means arranged to receive an end of a cartridge and retain the cartridge in connection with the body portion for application of a force thereto during use, and to allow subsequent release of the cartridge; said retaining means includes at least one deformable member arranged to be deformable upon reception of the cartridge by the retaining means; characterised in that the at least one deformable member is arranged to engage at least part of an external surface of the cartridge.

Typically one or more deformable members are engageable with an external surface at an end of the cartridge such that the remainder of the cartridge extends from the apparatus. Typically material is dispensed from an outlet at the end of the cartridge opposing that which is engaged by the apparatus.

The retaining means of the present invention is particularly advantageous since the cartridge can be held fast without the need to surround the cartridge with the frame. Hence a dispensing gun according to the present invention is more compact than conventional designs. By engaging the outer perimeter of the cartridge at only one end, a cartridge can be attached or removed without the need to remove the cartridge from a conventional frame or retract the plunger and as a result can be removed relatively quickly. The present invention also carries a surprising advantage in that the cartridge itself can be gripped by a user, rather than the frame surrounding the cartridge and so a user can hold the cartridge with more accuracy, with less opportunity for uncontrolled movement of the cartridge and improved feedback.

In one embodiment, one or more deformable members are disposed around the circumference of the cartridge during use. The deformable member is arranged outwardly of the cartridge circumference. In one embodiment the deformable members are range taking. In one embodiment the deformable member is selectively interchangeable. Thus the dispensing apparatus can be adapted to allow different sized cartridges to be received and retained.

Typically one or more deformable members are deformable in a radial direction. Typically one or more deformable members extend radially between the cartridge wall and the remainder of the apparatus body during use.

In one embodiment one or more deformable members are provided in an annular arrangement.

In one embodiment, the deformable member includes a series of deformable elements arranged around a ring. The individual elements can therefore deform individually or else in unison.

Typically the retaining means is provided with a reception area such as a slot or groove, typically annular in shape for receiving the end of a cartridge.

Typically the at least part of the deformable members or elements protrude over the slot or groove such that insertion of the cartridge into the slot or groove causes deformation of the elements .

In one embodiment the apparatus is provided with a release member. Preferably the release member is movable so as to allow a releasing force to be selectively applied to the deformable member. Typically the release member is arranged to deform the deformable member in substantially the same direction as the direction of insertion of the cartridge. Typically the portion of the release member which comes into contact with the deformable member is annular in shape. In the case that there are multiple deformable members or elements, the release member typically contacts all the deformable members or elements simultaneously or at least a sufficient number of the same as to allow the retaining force on the cartridge to be reduced to a sufficient extent to allow the cartridge to be released.

The release member therefore allows removal of the cartridge from the apparatus in a single direction, simply by pulling the cartridge in one direction and the release member in the other. This is particularly advantageous since a cartridge can be removed from a dispensing gun, without first requiring the plunger to be returned to a fully retracted position.

In use the frictional force between the cartridge and the retaining means exceeds the force applied to the cartridge by the plunger to remove material from the cartridge and therefore no additional frame elements are required to hold the cartridge correctly in place during use.

It will be appreciated by those skilled in the art that a cartridge will usually contain a viscous fluid such as sealant or glue for use in DIY and trade applications . However the present invention is not limited to such uses and may be applied to any other dispensing cartridges. Furthermore the pressure to be applied to the cartridge may be applied manually or else by other conventional means, such as pneumatic means or else by electromechanical actuation.

In a further aspect of the invention there is provided a retaining means for exerting a gripping force at or adjacent to an end of an article, said article having a wall portion having an outer surface depending therefrom at said end, said retaining means including a reception area into which at least part of the wall portion can be located and wherein there is provided one or more resilient deformable elements at least partially protruding from or overlying the periphery of said reception area such that movement of the article into the reception area causes the said elements to contact with and be moved by the article to exert a gripping force on the article outer surface.

In one embodiment the deformable member has a substantially circular shaped perimeter with the deformable elements located therealong.

In one embodiment the deformable member is frustoconical in shape.

In one embodiment the deformable elements form part of the wall of the deformable member. Typically the deformable elements depend inwardly.

In one embodiment the deformable member has an annular ridge formed offset from the perimeter, which ridge causes the elements to lie at substantially the same angle with respect to the remainder of the ring.

In one embodiment the retaining means can be provided in conjunction with a release member, said release member moveable into contact with the deformable member to cause the gripping force exerted by the deformable elements to be reduced to a sufficient extent to allow the manual release of the article.

In one embodiment the size of the deformable member and/or deformable elements can be adjusted to allow location of a particular article size therewith. More typically, one of a range of deformable members can be selectively fitted in position to suit the particular size of the article which is to be retained.

In one embodiment the retaining means is provided as part of a caulking gun and the article is cartridge with a fluid therein which is to be dispensed from the caulking gun when the article is retained in the same.

Preferred embodiments of the present invention are described in further detail below with reference to the accompanying drawings, of which:

Figure Ia shows a side view of a dispensing apparatus according to the prior art;

Figure Ib is a sectional view of a conventional cartridge;

Figure 2 is a side view of a dispensing apparatus according to the present invention;

Figure 3 is an end view of the retaining means of the dispensing apparatus of figure 2;

Figure 4 is a sectional view of the retaining means of figure 3 taken through the plane A-A ; and

Figure 5 is an exploded isometric view of the dispensing apparatus of Figure 2.

Figure 6 illustrates a side view of an exploded isometric view of a deformable member (a) when not in use; (b) when deformed by insertion of a cartridge. A conventional dispensing apparatus is shown in figure Ia and comprises a handle portion 2, a frame 4 and a rod 6. The frame 4 has a body portion 8 and a supporting cradle 10 which extends in front of the handle 2 and provides a support for a cartridge 12 which is shown in figure Ib . The handle portion 2 includes a lever 14 which acts on a washer 16, through which the rod 6 passes . Thus actuation of the lever 14 causes the washer to pivot away from its rest position and to grip the rod 6, moving the rod forward towards the front of the cradle 10.

Upon release of the lever 14, a spring 18 returns the washer 16 to its resting position such that subsequent actuation of the lever advances the rod further forwards . In this manner the rod can be moved in a stepwise manner to apply pressure to a cartridge held in the frame 4. Thus the rod end 20 acts as a plunger.

Turning now to figure Ib, a conventional cartridge is shown, having an outer wall 22 defining a cavity 24. The cavity is filled with material to be dispensed, which may be a viscous liquid such as for example a glue or a sealant. The cartridge has a nozzle 26 defining an opening at one end for dispensing the material. A movable wall 28 defines the opposing end of the cavity such that, upon application of a pressure to the exposed face of the movable wall, the material is forced out of the opening in the nozzle. The rear end of the cartridge is therefore open so as to allow access to the movable wall for application of the required pressure.

In use the cartridge is seated within the frame 4 such that the nozzle protrudes through an opening in the front of the cradle 10. Actuation of the lever causes the rod 6 to progress towards the movable wall 28 through the rear end 30 of the cartridge 12. Upon contact between the plunger 20 and the movable wall 28, further actuation of the lever 14 causes material to be dispensed through the nozzle. The flow of material through the nozzle is therefore controlled by a user via controlled actuation of the lever 14.

If it is required to release the pressure on the movable wall and/or to remove the cartridge, a return lever 32 is provided, which once depressed, allows a user to pull the rod in a reverse direction back through the body portion 8. Only once the rod is pulled into its rearmost position can the cartridge be removed from the cradle.

Turning now to the embodiment of the present invention shown in figure 2, it will be appreciated that the lever and rod mechanism is substantially the same as that of the prior art. Like parts have been labelled with like reference numerals and further description of the operation of those parts will be omitted.

However it will be appreciated that the embodiment shown in figure 2 avoids the need for the front cradle according to the prior art and instead is provided with a more compact arrangement for reception of a cartridge such that the cartridge can be securely held in place for use and subsequently removed as required. The arrangement according to the present invention has a body portion 34 with retaining means which are enclosed within housing 36. Protruding from the housing 36 is a release member 38, the operation of which will be described below. Both the housing and the release member are generally cylindrical in shape in accordance with the shape of standard cartridges which are also cylindrical. However it will be appreciated that these parts may take a different form to suit other cartridge configurations. Figure 3 shows an end view of the retaining means of figure 2. The rod 6 can be seen to extend through the centre of a deformable member, which takes the form of a metal ring 40. The ring is provided with a series of deformable elements in the form of tabs or protrusions 42 which are provided around the circumference of the ring 40. The tabs 42 extend radially inwardly from the ring and are spaced by slits . Behind the tabs 42 there is provided a reception area in this case in the form of a groove or annular slot or recess 44, which can be seen more clearly in figure 4, for reception of the end of a cartridge.

In figure 4 it can be seen that the housing 36 encloses an annular member 45. The annular member 45 is shaped to provide the slot 44 for reception of the cartridge. In addition the annular member has a central aperture 46 for reception of the rod 6 such that the rod can slide back and forth through the aperture 46. Positioned on the annular member 45 is the deformable ring 40. The deformable ring is seated on an outer lip 48 around the annular member and the deformable elements extend inwardly of the lip 48. The rearmost edge of the annular member provides an abutment 49 for spring 18 so as to maintain the compression of the spring 18 during use.

The housing has a backing member 50 which is rigidly attached to the body 34. Typically the backing member is integral with the gun body and may be moulded as a single part. The backing member is provided with a threaded protrusion 52 which mates with a correspondingly threaded portion of the housing 36 so as to maintain correct alignment of the housing and internal parts during use.

The release member 38 is in the form of a sleeve which can slide a short distance against the inside wall of the housing 36. The sleeve has a ridge 54 to prevent the sleeve being pulled out of the opening 58 in the housing 36. The travel of the sleeve in the opposite direction is limited by flange 56 such that the sleeve is held adjacent the housing with a limited degree of freedom.

With reference to Figure 5 an exploded view of the dispensing apparatus is illustrated to show how the components fit together.

The rod 6 is inserted through the annular member 45, spring 18, body portion 34, spring 60, washer 16 and return lever 32, and these components are held in place on the rod 6 by rod ends 20, 20' and secured thereto by nuts 62, 62' threaded onto the ends of the rod 6.

The lever 14 is pivotally connected to the handle 2 via pivot points 64. The release member 38 is snap-fitted into the housing 36 and retained by a protrusion as hereinbefore described. The deformable ring is then inserted into the slot 44 in the annular member 45 and the housing is screwed thereover via threaded protrusion 52.

In use, a cartridge is inserted into the retaining means through the opening 58 in direction B. The cartridge fits inside the retaining means and is pushed into contact with the ring 40. When pressed against the ring 40, the cartridge deforms the elements or tabs 42 such that the cartridge can slide past the ring 40 and into the slot 44. The elastic deformation of the tabs 42 causes a frictional contact between the tabs and the cartridge once inserted. This contact resists the removal of the cartridge. The resistance is greater in magnitude than the force applied to the movable wall of the cartridge such that the cartridge is firmly held in place during use. Figure 6 illustrates how the end of the cartridge 30 can deform the ring 40, as the cartridge forces apart the inner deformable elements such that they provide a grip on the cartridge. Thus when the cartridge is inserted through the ring in direction B, it can be seen that the focal point F of the frustoconical shape is moved further away from the ring.

In the event that a conventional cartridge has a small flange at the rear end thereof, then the flange can be pushed past the ring 40 such that it becomes trapped within the slot behind the ring 40 further helping hold the cartridge in place.

When it is required to remove the cartridge, the release means can be depressed by a user by pressing on the flange 56. This presses the opposing end of the sleeve against the ring 40 so as to deform the tabs 42. The force applied to the release member exceeds the resistance of the deformable member such that the tabs deform to a greater extent than that caused by the insertion of the cartridge end. Thus the deformable members release their grip on the cartridge wall allowing the cartridge to come away from the gun.

There is therefore provided in accordance with the invention apparatus which allows a cartridge to be effectively held in position and used in areas where conventional apparatus would not be able to access as there is no need to provide a frame around the length of the cartridge. Furthermore, the cartridge is relatively easy and quick to load and unload.

Claims

1. Dispensing apparatus for dispensing material from a cartridge (12) comprising: a body portion (34); retaining means arranged to receive an end (30) of a cartridge and retain the cartridge in connection with the body- portion for application of a force thereto during use, and to allow subsequent release of the cartridge; said retaining means includes at least one deformable member (40) arranged to be deformable upon reception of the cartridge by the retaining means; characterised in that the at least one deformable member is arranged to engage at least part of an external surface of the cartridge.

2. Dispensing apparatus according to claim 1 wherein one or more deformable members are engageable with an external surface at an end of the cartridge such that the remainder of the cartridge extends from the apparatus.

3. Dispensing apparatus according to any preceding claim wherein one or more deformable members are disposed around the outer perimeter of the cartridge during use.

4. Dispensing apparatus according to any preceding claim wherein one or more deformable members extend radially between the cartridge wall and the remainder of the apparatus body during use.

5. Dispensing apparatus according to any preceding claim wherein one or more deformable members are deformable in a radial direction.

6. Dispensing apparatus according to any preceding claim wherein one or more deformable members are provided in an annular arrangement.

7. Dispensing apparatus according to any preceding claim wherein a series of deformable elements (42) are arranged around a ring to form a deformable member.

8. Dispensing apparatus according to any preceding claim wherein the retaining means is provided with a reception area in the form of a groove or slot (44) for receiving the end of a cartridge.

9. Dispensing apparatus according to claim 8 wherein at least part of the at least one deformable member (40) protrudes over the groove or slot (44) such that insertion of the cartridge into the groove or slot (44) causes deformation of said part.

10. Dispensing apparatus according to any preceding claim wherein a movable release member (38) is provided so as to allow a releasing force to be selectively applied to one or more deformable members.

1 1. Dispensing apparatus according to claim 10 wherein the release member (38) is arranged to deform one or more deformable members (40) in substantially the same direction as the direction (B) of insertion of the cartridge.

12. Dispensing apparatus according to any of claims 10-11 wherein the portion of the release member which comes into contact with one or more deformable members is annular in shape.

13. Dispensing apparatus according to any of claims 10-12 wherein the release member contacts all the deformable members simultaneously.

14. Dispensing apparatus according to any preceding claim wherein the at least one deformable member is selectively interchangeable.

15. A retaining means for exerting a gripping force at or adjacent to an end of an article, said article having a wall portion having an outer surface depending therefrom at said end, said retaining means including a reception area into which at least part of the wall portion can be located and wherein there is provided one or more resilient deformable elements at least partially protruding from or overlying the periphery of said reception area such that movement of the article into the reception area causes the said elements to contact with and be moved by the article to exert a gripping force on the article outer surface.

16. A retaining means according to claim 15 wherein the deformable member has a substantially circular shaped perimeter with the deformable elements located therealong.

17. A retaining means according to any of claims 15-16 wherein the deformable member is frustoconical in shape.

18. A retaining means according to any of claims 15-17 wherein the deformable elements form part of the wall of the deformable member.

19. A retaining means according to any of claims 15-18 wherein the deformable elements depend inwardly.

20. A retaining means according to any of claims 15-19 wherein the retaining means are provided in conjunction with a release member, said release member moveable into contact with the deformable member to cause the gripping force exerted by the deformable elements to be reduced to a sufficient extent to allow the manual release of the article.

21. A retaining means according to any of claims 15-20 wherein the size of the deformable member and/or deformable elements can be adjusted to allow location of a particular article size therewith.

22. A retaining means according to any of claims 15-21 wherein one of a range of deformable members is selectively fitted in position to suit the particular size of the article which is to be retained.

23. A retaining means according to any of claims 15-22 wherein the retaining means is provided as part of a caulking gun and the article is a cartridge with a fluid therein which is. to be dispensed from the caulking gun when the article is retained in the same.