Dispensing – Resilient wall – Supply container delivering to receiving chamber
Reexamination Certificate
2001-01-24
2002-05-28
Derakshani, Philippe (Department: 3754)
Dispensing
Resilient wall
Supply container delivering to receiving chamber
C222S209000
Reexamination Certificate
active
06394316
ABSTRACT:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to an improved pump and nozzle for a fluid dispensing apparatus, more specifically, a collapsible cavity pump with an improved outflow valve assembly having an less restricted fluid flow path and greater area of flow capacity through the pump tip.
2. Background Art
Liquid and semi-liquid dispensers are used in numerous applications and are used to dispense metered portions of creams, lotions, soaps, and similar materials. A typical dispenser allows the user to obtain a specific amount of liquid matter with minimal ease. Manual and automatic dispensing systems are common in the industry.
Manual dispensers generally utilize levers and other mechanical assemblies wherein the user must provide some physical contact with the dispensing unit in order to expel a unit of liquid. Automatic dispensers are becoming increasingly popular, and operate with a variety of electrical and electro-mechanical components to automatically dispense the liquid after triggering some sensory input. Once the sensor mechanism is triggered, a mechanical means is still required to force out a metered quantity of liquid.
Within the field of liquid dispensers, there are many types of dispensers. The most common and cost effective is the bag-in-box system, where the liquid comes in a disposable no-leak pouch or bag, to which is fused a pump and outflow tip. This system is a closed system; all air is removed from the pouch during manufacturing. This helps prevent contamination of the soap supply. The bag collapses upon itself as the liquid is consumed, and when empty, the bag and pump are disposed of and replaced by a new one. The closed system has many advantages, including convenience and better sanitation. Several size pouches are common, including 800 ml, 1000 ml and 1200 ml; the size requirement being dictated by the size and capacity of the dispenser in which it is to be used.
It is a necessary requirement that the cost to produce a bag-in-box system be kept to a minimum, while still delivering consistently reliable performance. Soap dispensers are commonly installed in public facilities and are subject to extreme wear and tear, thus they must also be robust and relatively maintenance-free. As a disposable element of the system, a malfunctioning or defective bag and pump are simply discarded, along with any remaining liquid soap in the bag.
Other dispensers use cartridges or refillable containers. The cartridges must be pierced, are generally not refillable, and produce greater waste. Both cartridges and re-fillable containers introduce air into the system, aiding the production of bacteria and mold. The cost and administrative complexity in using these other forms of dispensers, as well as the decreased sanitary condition limits their market appeal. Regardless of the type of housing for the liquid, whether pouch, canister, cartridge or container, the liquid must still be dispensed through a dispenser valve assembly.
The liquid soap industry has numerous brands and categories of soaps. The viscosity and particulate content are also subject to extreme variations. There is an array of particulate matter that can be added to liquid soaps to form a grit soap compound that is more effective in cleaning. The most common grit material is plastic microspheres, although other materials such as clay, walnut shells and corn cobs have also been used. Besides the variations of compounds used to form grit soap, the size of the grit also varies.
There are several lines of liquid soaps with synthetic particles, namely plastic balls, that constitute grit compounds. The size of the particulate varies, and a series of products include Microgrit 40, Microgrit 60, and Microgrit 70. The increased consumer demand for grit in liquid soaps has led to an increase in malfunctions in existing dispensers.
There has also been a consumer demand for antimicrobial soaps, and the industry has reacted by adding creating new compounds with anti-bacterial properties. These antimicrobial soaps are available with or without grit and have certain characteristics and viscosity differences as compared to standard liquid soap.
Besides liquid soap, other compounds that are used in liquid dispensers include body and hair shampoo, hand cream solutions, lotion soaps, and shaving cream. Any flowable liquid is capable of being dispensed. Prior art designs are generally not effective in dispensing viscous liquids.
In a typical bag-in-box operation, a user depresses a lever or controller. This applies pressure to the liquid in the collapsible pouch that exerts fluid pressure against the ball in the ball check valve. If the pressure is sufficient, the ball is displaced, and the liquid flows around the ball and into the ball check valve chamber. The liquid flows into the space between the spring and the interior wall of the ball check valve chamber. Once the chamber is sufficiently full, the liquid is forced through the compressed spring and out through the lower fitment hole and through the nozzle.
Many of the current dispensers cannot adequately handle the grit, grit compounds, or viscous liquids. The dispenser valves have a narrow point or restricted passage that limits the size of the particulate matter that can pass freely and generally impedes viscous liquids. In most cases, this narrow area is directly before the exit nozzle, at the spring seat.
A common problem with most bag-in-box dispensers is that the dispenser valve tends to clog and become unusable after a number of manipulations. Once the pump tip becomes clogged, the entire pouch and pump tip is normally thrown out, regardless of the amount of liquid remaining in the pouch. The expenditure in time and materials is significant due to the number of dispensers in the market.
In order to reduce the aforementioned problems, attempts have been made to produce an efficient and cost-effective dispensing system. The prior art systems have general short-comings and do not adequately address or correct these problems.
The pump tip in U.S. Pat. No. 5,501,372 is an improved tip design, but as shown in FIG. 5, the liquid has a limited exit point that restricts the liquid flow. The spring contacts the flush spring seat, creating a bottleneck in the dispensing process. The liquid is substantially forced through the center of the spring in order to exit out of the nozzle tip. In addition, the flat surface of the spring seat provides a surface for collecting debris and otherwise facilitating clogging of the nozzle, especially when particulate matter is mixed with the liquid.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,130,224 is another dispensing apparatus, wherein the ball check valve is held in place by a spring, with the spring seat perpendicular to the spring, as illustrated in FIGS. 3, 4, 5, and 6. When the lever is pressed, the fluid is compressed, creating a pressure that exceeds the spring tension. The ball is forced away from the ball seat and fluid flows around the ball and into the inner chamber. The exit nozzle is smaller in dimension than the diameter of the inner chamber, and the spring seat is on the upper end of the exit nozzle, with the spring contacting the spring seat. The liquid must go through the spring to exit the nozzle.
A similar ball check valve is disclosed in FIG. 5 of U.S. Pat. No. 4,394,938 ('938), wherein the '938 invention depicts the arrangement of the ball contacting the ball seat, and held in place by the spring. The spring is perpendicular to the spring seat, which is a substantially flat surface. When the ball is displaced from the ball seat, the liquid is forced around the ball. The path of the liquid is primarily down the cross sectional area outside the spring until the liquid contacts the flattened surface of the spring seat, where the liquid is then forced to exit through the center of the spring.
A similar ball check arrangement is shown in FIG. 10 of U.S. Pat. No. 4,515,294. The spring is retained within a tube, and a smaller diameter inner tube forms the lower end of the spring seat. Once the ball i
Asmus Scott J.
Derakshani Philippe
Maine Vernon C.
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