WO2011104512A1

WO2011104512A1 - Dispenser for a liquid

Info

Publication number: WO2011104512A1
Application number: PCT/GB2011/000259
Authority: WO
Inventors: Peter Virica
Original assignee: Jeyes Group Limited
Priority date: 2010-02-25
Filing date: 2011-02-24
Publication date: 2011-09-01
Also published as: GB201003226D0; GB2478141A

Abstract

A liquid dispenser comprising a spray outlet (4) and a trigger mechanism for ejecting liquid through the spray outlet (4); and a pouring outlet (5) through which liquid may be poured. The invention thus provides a convenient dual use dispenser. The liquid dispenser includes both a spray outlet (4) and a separate purpose made pouring outlet (5). Liquid can be poured from the dispenser without the necessity of removing the spray mechanism from the container.

Description

DISPENSER FOR A LIQUID

Background

The present invention relates to a dispenser for a liquid, particularly for dispensing cleansing compositions. Such compositions may take many forms as well known in the art, and typically comprise one or more of a surfactant, a bleach, a disinfectant, deodorizer or fragrance, lime scale remover, and the like and may have one of a wide range of viscosities, including shear thinning or shear thickening behaviour, depending on the intended use. In particular, hand held liquid dispensers having a trigger spray for delivery of fluid by a pump action. Such hand held trigger sprays are commonly used to deliver products including cleaning fluids, insecticides and even sprays for smoothing and conditioning hair.

For cleaning toilet bowls, it is typical to use a dispenser in the form of a squeezable container or bottle with a capped outlet on an outlet spout. The spout may be angled so that the bottle can be inverted to squirt liquid under the rim of the toilet bowl. Also, a greater quantity of liquid can be delivered quickly, which may be desirable when pouring the cleaning liquid down a drain or plug-hole, for example.

Dispensers in the form of a bottle having a hand actuated 'trigger spray' are well known. A trigger is pulled to spray the liquid from a container. Typically the trigger spray operates using a suction effect, air being pumped through a nozzle and serving to draw liquid up a delivery tube and into the nozzle and spraying the liquid from the nozzle outlet. These sprays are suitable for cleaning surfaces such as wall tiles, table tops, basins and baths. However, they are not suitable when the dispenser must be held substantially off the vertical because the bottle angle means that the inlet of the delivery tube is not covered by the liquid in the container and so liquid is no longer drawn into the nozzle. Also, only a limited amount of cleaning liquid may be delivered with each actuation of the spray.

Trigger sprays come in various arrangements, generally having a trigger spray head mounted on a fluid container. A typical prior art example is shown in Figure 1. A dip tube 100 extends from the head into the container 110 normally to the bottom of the container to ensure that as much fluid from the container 10 can be dispensed through the spray head 120. The trigger spray head 120 has a fluid passage 130 in communication with the dip tube 100 leading to a nozzle 140. A piston 150 is located in a piston shaft 160 in the fluid passage 130 and is operable by a trigger 170 of the spray head 120.

Trigger sprays work by the piston 150 forcing fluid out of the fluid passage 130 through the nozzle 140 when the trigger 170 is operated. The trigger 170 is coupled to the piston 150 so that, when squeezed, the trigger causes the piston 50 to move against a spring 180 into the piston shaft 160 that forms part of the fluid passage 130. When the piston 150 moves into the piston shaft 160 the total volume of the fluid passage 30 decreases and fluid is forced through an outlet of the fluid passage 30 at the nozzle 140.

The trigger 170 is subsequently released and the fluid passage 130 refills with fluid, ready for the next spray. Release of the trigger 170 allows the piston 150 to move back out of the piston shaft 160 under the influence of the spring 180. This increases the volume of the fluid passage 130. An associated decrease in pressure draws fluid into the fluid passage 130 through the dip tube 100 which extends into the container 110 holding fluid, with the far end of the dip tube 100 submerged in the fluid. With the fluid passage 130 recharged with fluid and the trigger 170 at rest, the system is ready to deliver another spray.

During recharging of the fluid passage 130, and when the fluid passage 130 is charged, fluid must be prevented from draining back into the container 10. This is achieved using a valve 190 such as a ball valve sitting in a valve seat positioned in the fluid passage 130 near the top of the dip tube 100. This inlet valve 90 ensures oneway flow of fluid from the container, up the dip tube and out through the nozzle 140. When the fluid passage 130 is charged the fluid exerts pressure on the ball valve to keep it in place and therefore closed.

The trigger spray of Figure 1 has an outlet valve 200, which is also a ball valve, the ball sitting in a valve seat at the nozzle 140 end of the fluid passage 30, where fluid is delivered as a spray. When the fluid passage 130 is recharging or is charged with fluid, the outlet valve 200 is closed. In this case the valve 200 is held closed by a spring as shown in figure 1.The outlet valve 200 prevents air from entering the fluid passage 130 through the nozzle 140, introducing bubbles and causing the dispenser to operate inefficiently. The outlet valve 200 is arranged to open when the trigger is pulled and pressure in the fluid passage 130 is high. This allows fluid out of the fluid passage 130 as a spray.

As fluid leaves the system with successive depressions of the trigger 170, negative pressure builds up inside the container 110. A vent is, therefore, provided for returning air to the container, thereby keeping the pressure balanced. A number of venting arrangements are known in the art. The one that is appropriate depends on the design of the trigger spray.

A common design of trigger spray has a vertically oriented piston and piston shaft. The piston moves relative to and inside the piston shaft. The space inside the piston shaft communicates with the rest of the fluid passage of the trigger spray. The piston shaft and fluid passage communicate with a dip tube. When the trigger is operated the piston and piston shaft move relative to each other so that the fluid passage volume decreases, forcing liquid out of the fluid passage as a spray. During this operation the piston shaft and dip tube move relative to the container to provide a simple vent by virtue of a lower portion of the shaft having a diameter narrower than that of a seal between the shaft and the container neck. When an upper (ie. wider) portion of the shaft is level with the seal, the seal is fluid tight. However, when the trigger is pulled and the piston shaft moves relative to the container, the narrower portion of the shaft becomes level with the seal and a gap appears between the shaft and the seal, allowing air to vent back into the container to balance the pressure.

Another type of vent is provided by the use of a through hole between the piston shaft and the container. An example is shown in figure 2. The trigger spray of figure 2 is very similar to that of figure 1 and the same reference numerals are used for like parts. As for the arrangement of figure 1, the space inside the piston shaft 160 of figure 2 communicates with the rest of the fluid passage 130. When the trigger 170 is pressed the piston 150 is forced into the piston shaft 60, reducing the fluid passage volume and forcing fluid out of the nozzle 140 as a spray. However, unlike the design of trigger spray described above, the seal between the fluid passage (which communicates with the dip tube) and the container neck in this type of trigger spray is always closed. In this arrangement a separate vent is supplied to keep the pressure inside and outside the container balanced.

In the arrangement of figure 2, the piston shaft is connected by a through-hole 210 to the inside of the container. Air from the atmosphere is delivered in small incremental volumes through the through hole and into the container. This delivery is achieved using a piston 150A with two piston seals. The piston seals form the space 220 as shown in figure 2. When not in use the trigger 170 is kept in an extended position with the space 220 between the piston seals in communication with the air outside the container. When the trigger is pressed, the piston moves until the space 220 is aligned with the through-hole 210. Figure 2 shows the trigger between the two extreme positions. When the space 220 between the piston seals is in communication with the through hole and therefore with the inside of the container, if the air pressure inside the container is lower than atmospheric pressure, an incremental amount of air will flow to equalise the pressure between the piston seals and the container.

Some designs of trigger spray integrate the piston with the fluid passage outlet so that their axes are collinear. Many trigger sprays of this design have a second piston acting as a vent for the purpose of delivering air back into the container. This second piston has a shaft with a tapered opening, the tapered opening being in communication with atmospheric air. The opening at the other end of this shaft communicates, by a through hole, with the air in the container. The shaft is arranged so that when the fluid passage of the trigger spray is charging or charged with fluid, the second piston is located in the wider part of its shaft, allowing air through the shaft and into the container.

A liquid dispenser for effectively filling the fluid passage of a trigger spray is disclosed in US patent number US-A-4747523. Liquid dispensers with firstly a fluid tight seal between the container and the trigger spray, secondly a ratcheted and non-removable container closure and thirdly a ratcheted yet removable container closure are disclosed in US patents US-A-4361256, US-A-5360127 and US-A-5685445, respectively. A pump sprayer with a removable locking element at the fluid passage outlet is disclosed in patent US-A-4971227, and the reduced contamination of surrounding air by spray from a foamer fluid passage outlet of a trigger spray are the subject of patents US-A- 5647539 and US-A-5678765. Nevertheless, it is not possible with any of the dispensers mentioned or referred to above to dramatically increase the rate of delivery of the fluid product in situations where this might be convenient. For example, when cleaning a sink one might like to spray the taps with cleaning fluid whilst preferring to dispense larger quantities into the main bowl of the sink. It would be inconvenient to dispense such a large quantity by spraying with a repeated pump action. Even if the trigger spray mechanism, including the dip tube, were removable, it would be inconvenient to remove the trigger spray mechanism, especially as the dip tube is likely to be filled with fluid.

Moreover, there are situations when, for example, an amount of fluid is required in a cleaning cloth and it would be most convenient to pour a small amount of liquid onto the cloth. Moments later, the same fluid product might be required as a foam from a trigger spray with a foamer fluid passage outlet. Convenient dual functionality is absent from any of the dispensers mentioned above.

Dual and multi-function devices are today more popular than ever, with convenience of use and 'consumer experience' key factors in the success of any commercial product. Since fluids can be dispensed as flowing liquids, sprays, gels, foams and mousses, there is an opportunity for dual or multi-function dispensers to be developed.

We have realised that many cleansing liquid formulations can be dispensed using a trigger spray or a capped outlet without requiring substantial modification to the viscosity or rheological properties of the liquid. The dispenser of this invention is extremely versatile and can be use for delivering the liquid in a spray, or the cap can be removed from the capped outlet and liquid delivered through the outlet.

Summary of invention

The invention provides a liquid dispenser comprising a spray outlet and a trigger mechanism for ejecting liquid through the spray outlet; and a pouring outlet through which liquid may be poured. The invention thus provides a convenient dual use dispenser. The liquid dispenser includes both a spray outlet and a separate purpose made pouring outlet. Liquid can be poured from the dispenser without the necessity of removing the spray mechanism from the container.

The dispenser may comprise a container for liquid to be dispensed. The liquid dispenser of the invention may be provided separately of the container. The dispenser head may have a screw thread or other means for affixing to an opening of a container.

The pouring outlet may be contained in a dispenser head including the trigger mechanism.

The pouring outlet may comprise a through hole in a wall of the container.

The trigger mechanism may include a piston shaft in the fluid passage and a piston in the piston shaft operable by a trigger connected to the piston.

The piston may have an outer seal and an inner seal, and a through hole connecting the inside of the piston shaft to the inside of the container.

The piston seals may be arranged so that when the outer seal protrudes from the piston shaft a space between the two piston seals communicates with the air outside the dispenser, and when the trigger is operated to move the piston within the piston shaft the space between the piston seals communicates with the through hole. It has been found that such arrangements provide better sealing allowing the dispenser to be inverted for pouring liquid through the through-hole without the trigger mechanism leaking.

Drawings

Figure 1 shows a cross section through a known trigger spray dispenser.

Figure 2 shows a cross section through an alternative prior art trigger spray mechanism.

Figure 3A shows a cross section through a dispenser head according to the invention. Figure 3B shows the dispenser head of Figure 3A with the trigger in a depressed position. Figure 3C shows the dispenser head of Figure 3A inverted in order to pour liquid from a container.

Description

Turning to the drawings, a liquid dispenser according to an embodiment of the invention is illustrated in figures 3A, 3B and 3C. In figure 3A a dispenser is shown at rest, that is, when not in use. In figure 3B the dispenser of figure 3A is shown delivering fluid as a spray, with the trigger depressed. Figure 3C shows fluid being delivered as a flowing liquid from the dispenser.

The dispenser of figures 3A, 3B and 3C has a dispenser head 1 mounted on a bottle (not shown), which serves as a container for fluid, by a screw cap arrangement. The screw cap arrangement is preferably liquid tight.

The dispenser has a spray outlet 4 through which fluid may be dispensed as a spray. The dispenser of the invention also has a pouring outlet 5 through which fluid may be poured as a flowing liquid if the dispenser is inverted. A fluid passage 6 extends from the top of the dip tube 3, past the screw cap 2 and then to the spray outlet 4. In order to be dispensed as a spray, fluid stored in the bottle flows along the dip tube 3, passes through the fluid passage 6, and exits the trigger spray at the spray outlet 4. To dispense a stream of liquid, the dispenser may be inverted and fluid may flow along a pouring passage 7 and may be poured out of a pouring outlet 5.

An inlet valve 8 is located at the dip tube end of the fluid passage 6, and prevents fluid in the fluid passage 6 between the valve 8 and the spray outlet 4 from draining back along the fluid passage 6 into the bottle. An outlet valve 9 is located in the fluid passage 6 near the spray outlet 4. The outlet valve 9 opens to allow fluid through the spray outlet 4 when fluid is to be dispensed as a spray, but is otherwise closed by a spring to prevent air from entering the fluid passage 6. The spray outlet 4 can be closed with a simple lock 10 that is well known in the art, see for example, US-A- 4971227.

The outlet 5 is conveniently provided with a closure 11 to prevent inadvertent spillage of liquid when the dispenser is in transport or is being manipulated in use. The closure may be a re-sealable closure or may be permanently detached after first use. In Figure 3 the closure 11 is shown as a screw cap in figures 3A and 3B. In figure 3C the cap has been removed to reveal screw thread 11 a. To pour or squirt liquid from the bottle through outlet 5, closure 11 is unscrewed and the bottle inverted so that liquid flows under the action of gravity to the outlet 5 and the bottle squeezed if necessary. Such "capped" outlets are well known in the art. The pouring passage 7 is formed in a neck of the dispenser head land is formed at an angle to the axis of the bottle, typically 10 to 45 degrees, and preferably about 20 to 30 degrees, more preferably about 25 degrees. The pouring outlet 5 may be provided with a nozzle to provide a jet of liquid when the bottle is squeezed. Preferably outlet 5 is provided at the upper end of the bottle 4. The dispenser of the invention has a separate pouring opening for use even when the dispenser head is affixed to the container opening.

A housing 12 encases the majority of the trigger spray mechanism of the dispenser head 1. The housing 12 contributes to the aesthetic appeal of the dispenser, but also protects the components inside it from impact or other damage, as well as serving as a pivot for a trigger 13. The trigger 13, a key component of the trigger spray mechanism of the dispenser head 1, pivots both on the housing 12 as well as on a piston 14 which is movable along a piston shaft 15 that communicates with the fluid passage 6.

As the piston 14 moves along the piston shaft 15 towards the fluid passage 6, its motion is resisted by a spring 16 located inside the fluid passage 6. The piston 14 can be moved in this way against the urging of the spring 16 by pulling the trigger 3. If the trigger 13 is then released the piston 14 moves back along the piston shaft 15 towards its resting position under the influence of the spring 16.

At its two ends the piston 14 is in contact with the piston shaft 15 around its circumference. In other words, the piston 14 has two seals: an inner seal 17 and an outer seal 18. Between the seals 17 and 18 the piston 14 has a narrower portion which defines a space between the piston 14 and the piston shaft 15. When the trigger spray is at rest this space communicates with the outside atmospheric air, as shown in figure 3A, so that the pressure of the air in this space and the outside air are balanced.

When the trigger 3 is pulled the piston 1 is pushed along the piston shaft 15 against the urging of the spring 16. The resulting high fluid pressure in the fluid passage 6 keeps closed the inlet valve 8 and opens the outlet valve 9, resulting in the delivery of fluid from the spray outlet 4 as a spray. When the trigger 13 is fully pulled, as shown in figure 3B, the space between the piston 14 and the piston shaft 15 communicates with a through hole 19 that leads to the air in the bottle. At this point, the pressure of the air in the space between the piston 14 and the piston shaft 15 balances with the pressure of the air in the bottle. This venting mechanism delivers incremental amounts of air from outside the dispenser into the bottle to offset any negative pressure that builds up inside the bottle after successive sprays.

When the trigger 13 is released again the fluid pressure in the fluid passage 6 is low. The outlet valve 9 closes and the inlet valve 8 opens so that fluid is drawn up the dip tube 3 and into the fluid passage 6. The drawing up of fluid into the fluid passage 6 so that the trigger spray is ready to spray again is called the charging of the trigger spray.

With the trigger spray charged, the dispenser is at rest as shown in figure 3A. The inlet valve 8 is closed and the piston 14 covers the through-hole 19. If the closure 11 of the pouring outlet 5 is then opened and the dispenser inverted as shown in figure 3C, the only place for the fluid in the bottle to flow is along the pouring passage 7 and out of the pouring outlet 5. There are no leaks of fluid from any other outlet or hole of the dispenser.

Whilst the invention has been described in relation to a particular embodiment, modifications will occur to the skilled person without departing from the scope of the invention as defined in the appended claims. For example, whilst the trigger spray mechanism of figures 3A, 3B and 3C is similar to the device described in relation to figure 2, various trigger sprays have been described herein and all may give acceptable results. The trigger spray of figure 3A, 3B and 3C has been chosen since this provides a trigger spray bottle combination that is less likely to leak when inverted so as to dispense fluid through the pouring outlet 5. Thus in its broadest aspect the invention does not require any particular trigger spray mechanism.

In the described embodiment it has been suggested that the dispensing head is mounted on a container by a screw cap method. However, the dispensing head may be mounted on the fluid container in any convenient manner and the head can be removable, permanently affixed or semi-permanently affixed to a container. In most cases it is convenient to have the head removable using a screw cap as an example of a removable mounting mechanism so that the head can be mounted on a new container (a so called refill) once the original container is empty. However, in some circumstances it may be preferable not to use refill containers and the present invention may allow the original container to be refilled with fluid through the pouring outlet 5 without removing the dispenser head 1 from the container.

Furthermore, whilst the dispenser of the invention has been described in terms of a one piece dispenser head, the advantages of the invention could be provided by having the pouring outlet located elsewhere than the trigger spray head, for example, a container attached to the head or attachable thereto could include a separate pouring outlet. The pouring outlet may include any of the known nozzles for dispensing liquids, which may provide spouts to improve direction or nozzles to restrict flow requiring the bottle to be squeezed to increase the flow.

Claims

1. A liquid dispenser comprising:

a spray outlet and a trigger mechanism for ejecting liquid through the spray outlet; and

a pouring outlet through which liquid may be poured;

wherein the trigger mechanism includes a piston shaft in the fluid passage and a piston in the piston shaft operable by a trigger connected to the piston, the piston has an outer seal and an inner seal, and a through hole connects the inside of the piston shaft to the inside of the container.

2. A liquid dispenser according to claim 1 , wherein the piston seals are arranged so that when the outer seal protrudes from the piston shaft a space between the two piston seals communicates with the air outside the dispenser, and when the trigger is operated to move the piston within the piston shaft the space between the piston seals communicates with the through hole.

3. A liquid dispenser according to claim 1 or 2, comprising a container for liquid to be dispensed

4. A liquid dispenser according to claim 1 , 2 or 3, wherein the pouring outlet is contained in the dispenser head including the trigger mechanism.

5. A liquid dispenser as claimed in claim 3, wherein the pouring outlet comprises a through hole in a wall of the container.

6. A liquid dispenser as claimed in claim 3, 4 or 5, wherein the pouring outlet comprises a pouring passage formed in a neck of the dispenser head or container and the neck is formed at an angle to the axis of the container, typically 10 to 45 degrees, and preferably about 20 to 30 degrees, more preferably about 25 degrees.

7. A liquid dispenser as claimed in any one preceding claim wherein the pouring outlet is a capped outlet.

8. A liquid dispenser as claimed in any one preceding claim wherein the pouring outlet is provided with a nozzle to provide a jet of liquid when the bottle is squeezed.