Dispensing – With discharge assistant – Container with follower
Reexamination Certificate
1999-11-04
2001-07-03
Jacyna, J. Casimer (Department: 3751)
Dispensing
With discharge assistant
Container with follower
C222S043000, C222S327000
Reexamination Certificate
active
06253969
ABSTRACT:
FIELD OF THE INVENTION
The present invention relates to a dispenser suitable for conveniently and reliably dispensing a discrete amount of viscous material.
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
Generally speaking, people recognize the need to dispense different types of materials under different types of circumstances. One useful type of dispenser is commonly known as a caulk gun. Generally speaking, the caulk gun has a plunger which pushes material out of a tube in response to pressure applied by a user against a trigger. Those skilled in the art will recognize that this so-called caulk gun arrangement is not limited to the application of caulk. For example, U.S. Pat. No. 5,022,563 to Marchitto et al. discloses a dispenser gun suitable for distributing insecticidal gels and/or pastes in a desired manner. Although beneficial in certain respects, the Marchitto et al. dispenser gun leaves room for improvement in other respects.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
One aspect of the present invention is to provide a dispenser for viscous materials which is easy to handle and operate, particularly in connection with the application of insecticidal gels or pastes to insect harborage and travel areas. In this regard, the present invention provides a housing having a first, dispensing end, a second, opposite end, and a longitudinal axis extending therebetween. A plunger is movably mounted inside the housing to selectively advance the viscous material, and a lever is movably mounted on the housing to activate the plunger. The lever is positioned proximate the second end of the housing, and is connected to the plunger in such a manner that the plunger advances as the lever is squeezed against an adjacent portion of the housing and toward an orientation extending parallel to the longitudinal axis. On the preferred embodiment, the adjacent portion of the housing has a cross-section which is generally rectangular with rounded corners. The relatively longer dimension is measured perpendicular to the longitudinal axis and parallel to the plane traversed by the lever, and the relatively shorter dimension is measured laterally relative thereto. The housing and lever are configured so that a person can wrap his/her fingers about the housing with a thumb resting naturally on the lever and extending toward the dispensing end.
Another aspect of the present invention is to provide a dispenser for viscous materials which dispenses an adjustable quantity of material without requiring “touch” on the part of the user. In this regard, the present invention provides a dispenser having a first, dispensing end, a second, opposite end, and a longitudinal axis extending therebetween. A plunger is movably mounted inside the housing to selectively advance the viscous material, and a lever is movably mounted on the housing to activate the plunger. The lever pivots about a pin relative to the housing to advance the plunger. A screw is rotatably mounted on the housing and extends parallel to the longitudinal axis. The screw is threaded transversely through the pin and rotates relative to the housing to move the pin along the longitudinal axis, thereby changing the operational dynamics of the lever and its effect on the plunger. On a preferred embodiment, a pinion gear is mounted on a rearward end of the screw, and a ring gear is rotatably mounted on the housing and engaged with the pinion gear. The ring gear is rotated in order to turn the screw and change the axial location of the pin.
Yet another aspect of the present invention is to provide a dispenser for viscous materials which dispenses a discrete amount of material within a short and predictable amount of time. In this regard, the present invention provides a housing having a forward end and a rearward end. A plunger is movably mounted within the housing, and an operator is mounted on the housing to selectively advance the plunger forward relative to the housing. The plunger includes a shaft and a head, and a resilient washer is mounted snugly on the shaft and disposed immediately rearward of an overlapping shoulder on the housing. When the operator advances the plunger, the plunger moves forward relative to the housing and the washer, and an inward portion of the washer is deflected forward a lesser amount than the plunger. When the operator relaxes relative to the plunger, the washer urges the plunger rearward the lesser amount to contemporaneously relieve pressure applied by the head against the viscous material. On a preferred embodiment, a push plate, a coil spring, a steel washer and the resilient washer are disposed in series between relatively forward and rearward shoulders on the housing, and the lever bears against the push plate.
The present invention is designed to deliver a controlled, yet selectively variable amount of material in a convenient fashion. The preferred embodiment is designed specifically for use with insecticidal gels and/or pastes, but the present invention may be used with other types of viscous materials, including caulk, grease, and frosting, for example. Many of the features, advantages, and/or applications will become apparent from the more detailed description that follows.
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patent: 4444560 (1984-04-01), Jacklich
patent: 5022563 (1991-06-01), Marchitto et al.
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patent: 5433352 (1995-07-01), Ronvig
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Maxforce Advertisement, 1998.
Bate Mate Advertisement, 1998.
Anderson Douglas Grinnell
Mackert Ross Austin
Nelson Thomas Dean
Ecolab Inc.
Jacyna J. Casimer
Mau & Krull, P.A.
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