Dispensing – With lock or fastening seal – Single-use fastening seal
Patent
1994-06-28
1996-03-12
Shaver, Kevin P.
Dispensing
With lock or fastening seal
Single-use fastening seal
22215313, 2223831, 222384, 222385, B67D 500
Patent
active
054979153
DESCRIPTION:
BRIEF SUMMARY
FIELD OF THE INVENTION
This invention relates to dispenser pumps of the type in which dispensing is by a plunger action which displaces a piston relative to a cylinder in the pump, to expel material from a pump chamber through a discharge outlet, material for subsequent dispensing strokes being brought up into the pump chamber from a container through an inlet valve. Such pumps are commonly used for dispensing liquids and semi-liquids such as toiletries, lotions, liquid soaps and pharmaceutical products.
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
The conventional use is for dispensing in small doses, e.g. a few ml. The containers and pumps are usually of plastics material. The pump is a module with a dip tube, and is screwed onto the container outlet neck. The discharge nozzle is usually integral with the top of the plunger, with the outlet passage and valve provided through the plunger above an inlet valve, at the bottom of the pump body.
This construction has proved simple and reliable. However, it does have some problems.
Firstly, the movement of the nozzle during dispensing can be a nuisance if accurate dispensing is wanted.
Secondly, there are problems in locking of the plunger for transport. The plunger may be locked in the "up" position, by a tall collar which fits around it to prevent depression. See e.g. U.S. Pat. No. 4,479,589. The projecting plunger takes up a lot of space. If the plunger is locked in the "down" position, e.g. by a screw engagement of the plunger head with an opening in the pump body, this is more compact. However, the locking action requires the head to be depressed and turned at the same time, causing an undesirable dribble from the swinging nozzle.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
In a first aspect, we use a pump in which the discharge nozzle is axially fast with the body of the pump, usually at or towards a first axial end of the pump body from which the plunger projects. The second axial end of the pump body, with the inlet to the pump chamber, projects axially into the container outlet.
According to this first aspect, a discharge passage communicating between the pump chamber outlet and the discharge nozzle is defined within the pump body to extend axially alongside the pump chamber. Thus, the outlet from the pump chamber can be within the confines of the container neck, to reduce the axial height of the pump body above the container. In a piston and cylinder pump, the pump chamber outlet will most conveniently also be situated at the second end of the pump chamber, communicating to a discharge nozzle positioned outside the container neck opening with a substantial part of the pump body recessed into the container neck.
In particular, the extreme second (inner) end of the plunger may be disposed axially inside the container opening, relative to the end of the container neck, over a substantial proportion of its stroke length, desirably at least 30%, more preferably at least 45% and most preferably at least 60%. Where the pump has an end location for the container edge e.g. a radial wall part or a plug which projects radially from the body to define an end stop limiting insertion of the body into a container neck, a substantial proportion, desirably at least 30%, more preferably at least 45% and most preferably at least 60% of the axial stroke of the inner end of the plunger may lie axially towards the second end of the pump relative to this end location. This is achievable because the discharge passage may communicate from the pump chamber outlet axially past the axial end locator, within the pump body.
In a further preferred aspect, the inner end of the plunger is towards the second axial end of the pump, relative to the radially inner opening of the discharge nozzle, over at least 40%, more preferably 60% and most preferably at least 80% of the plunger stroke length.
The discharge passage preferably lies within the shape envelope of that portion of the pump body which projects down into the container, and which desirably has a cross-sectionally regular shape e.g. cylindrical.
The discha
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Shaver Kevin P.
The English Glass Company Limited
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