Dispenser with stroke adjustment capabilities

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-10034583-B2
Application number	US-201615061307-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Mar 4, 2016
Priority date	Mar 4, 2016
Publication date	Jul 31, 2018
Grant date	Jul 31, 2018

Abstract

A stroke adjuster and an associated dispenser are provided. An example embodiment provides a dispenser configured to dispense a fluid or foam and comprising a housing and a stroke adjuster. The housing comprises at least one housing engagement surface and defines an adjuster receiving area. The adjuster receiving area is configured to receive the stroke adjuster in one of either a first orientation or a second orientation. When the stroke adjuster is oriented within the dispenser in the first orientation a first surface is oriented upward and, when the dispenser is activated, a lower pump engagement surface of the pump is engaged by the first surface of the stroke adjuster. When the stroke adjuster is oriented within the dispenser in the second position a second surface is oriented upward and, when the dispenser is activated, the lower pump engagement surface is engaged by the housing engagement surface.

First claim

That which is claimed:

1. A dispenser configured to dispense a fluid or foam, the dispenser comprising:
a housing configured to receive a fluid reservoir and a pump therein, wherein the pump is configured to dispense the fluid or foam from the fluid reservoir, wherein the housing comprises at least one housing engagement surface and defines an adjuster receiving area; and
a stroke adjuster having a first surface and a second surface, said first surface defining a first plane and said second surface defining a second plane, said first plane being parallel or near parallel to said second plane,
wherein the adjuster receiving area is configured to receive the stroke adjuster in one of either a first orientation or a second orientation, and
wherein, when the stroke adjuster is oriented within the dispenser in the first orientation, the first surface is oriented upward and, when the dispenser is activated, a lower pump engagement surface of the pump is engaged by the first surface of the stroke adjuster, and wherein, when the stroke adjuster is oriented within the dispenser in the second orientation, the second surface is oriented upward and, when the dispenser is activated, the lower pump engagement surface is engaged by the housing engagement surface.

2. The dispenser of claim 1 wherein, if the stroke adjuster is either not positioned within the dispenser or positioned within the dispenser in the second orientation, the housing engagement surface is configured to engage the lower pump engagement surface.

3. The dispenser of claim 1 , wherein a cross-section of the stroke adjuster parallel to the first plane is generally U-shaped.

4. The dispenser of claim 1 , wherein, when the stroke adjuster is in the first orientation, a meaningful pump stroke is longer than when the stroke adjuster is in the second orientation and a starting point of a full pump stroke is the same regardless of whether the stroke adjuster is in the first orientation or the second orientation.

5. The dispenser of claim 1 , wherein, when the stroke adjuster is oriented within the dispenser in the first orientation, a meaningful pump stroke begins when the first surface of the stroke adjuster engages the lower pump engagement surface.

6. The dispenser of claim 1 , wherein, when the stroke adjuster is oriented within the dispenser in the second orientation, a meaningful pump stroke begins when the housing engagement surface engages the lower pump engagement surface.

7. The dispenser of claim 1 , wherein the stroke adjuster further comprises a dispenser engagement protrusion and the adjuster receiving area is configured to receive the dispenser engagement protrusion therein.

8. The dispenser of claim 1 , wherein the stroke adjuster comprises at least one slot configured to receive the housing engagement surface therein when the stroke adjuster is in the first orientation, and wherein, when the stroke adjuster is in the second orientation, the housing engagement surface is positioned between the stroke adjuster and the pump engagement surface.

9. The dispenser of claim 1 , wherein the housing and the stroke adjuster are configured such that after each activation of the dispenser, the pump is primed with the same amount of fluid or foam regardless of whether the stroke adjuster is in the first orientation or the second orientation.

10. The dispenser of claim 1 , wherein, when the stroke adjuster is oriented within the dispenser in either the first orientation or second orientation, the dispenser housing engagement surface is generally parallel to the first plane.

11. The dispenser of claim 1 , wherein each of the first surface and the second surface comprise an orientation marker configured to indicate a relative amount of the fluid or foam that corresponds to whether the stroke adjuster is in the first orientation or in the second orientation.

12. The dispenser of claim 1 , wherein, when the stroke adjuster is in the first orientation, the dispenser dispenses a larger volume of fluid or foam upon each activation than when the stroke adjuster is in the second orientation.

13. The dispenser of claim 1 , wherein the stroke adjuster comprises tabs that extend generally outward from the arms of a U-shaped cross-section and that are generally perpendicular to the first plane, wherein the U-shaped cross-section is parallel to the first plane.

14. The dispenser of claim 1 , wherein, when the stroke adjuster is oriented in the dispenser in the first orientation, the stroke adjuster is positioned within the dispenser in a first position and when the stroke adjuster is oriented in the dispenser in the second orientation, the stroke adjuster is positioned within the dispenser in a second position.

15. A stroke adjuster comprising:
a body defining a first surface and a second surface, the first surface defining a first plane and the second surface defining a second plane, said first plane being parallel or near parallel to said second plane,
wherein the stroke adjuster is configured to be oriented within a dispenser in one of either a first orientation or a second orientation,
wherein, when the stroke adjuster is oriented within the dispenser in the first orientation, the first surface is positioned upward and, when the dispenser is activated, a lower pump engagement surface of a pump positioned within the dispenser is engaged by the first surface of the stroke adjuster, and
wherein, when the stroke adjuster is oriented within the dispenser in the second orientation, the second surface is positioned upward and, when the dispenser is activated, the lower pump engagement surface is not engaged by the stroke adjuster.

16. The stroke adjuster of claim 15 , wherein a cross-section of the body parallel to the first plane is generally U-shaped.

17. The stroke adjuster of claim 15 , wherein a meaningful pump stroke of the pump is longer when the stroke adjuster is oriented within the dispenser in the first orientation than when the stroke adjuster is oriented within the dispenser in the second orientation, and wherein a starting point of a full pump stroke of the pump is the same regardless of whether the stroke adjuster is in the first orientation or the second orientation within the dispenser.

18. The stroke adjuster of claim 15 , wherein the stroke adjuster further comprises at least one tab that extends generally outward from an arm of a U-shaped cross-section of the body, wherein the at least one tab is generally perpendicular to the first plane, wherein the U-shaped cross-section is a cross-section of the body taken parallel to the first plane.

19. The stroke adjuster of claim 15 further comprising at least one slot configured to receive a housing engagement surface of the dispenser when the stroke adjuster is in the first orientation within the dispenser, and wherein, when the stroke adjuster is in the second orientation within the dispenser, the housing engagement surface is positioned between the stroke adjuster and the pump engagement surface.

20. The stroke adjuster of claim 19 , wherein the at least one slot defines a plane that is generally parallel to the first plane.

21. The stroke adjuster of claim 15 , wherein each of the first surface and the second surface comprise an orientation marker configured to indicate a relative amount of the fluid or foam to be dispensed from the dispenser that corresponds to whether the stroke adjuster is in the first orientation or in the second orientation.

22. The stroke adjuster of claim 15 , w

Assignees

• Gpcp Ip Holdings Llc

Inventors

• Carignan Ryan David
• Dahl Jacob Charles

Classifications

• B05B11/1008

  by adjusting or modifying the pump end-of-dispensing-stroke position · CPC title

• B05B11/1042

  Components or details · CPC title

• B05B11/1007

  by adjusting or modifying the pump end-of-sucking-stroke position · CPC title

• B05B11/1005

  with means for adjusting or modifying pump stroke · CPC title

• B05B11/3007

  Operations & Transport · mapped topic