Pump for under counter dispensing system

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-10144020-B2
Application number	US-201715709731-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Sep 20, 2017
Priority date	Sep 21, 2016
Publication date	Dec 4, 2018
Grant date	Dec 4, 2018

Abstract

A piston pump with a piston chamber-forming body and a piston-forming element relatively coaxially reciprocally movable to dispense liquid and air from a discharge outlet, which the discharge outlet is fixed relative to the piston chamber-forming body.

First claim

We claim:

1. A pump for simultaneously dispensing liquid and air comprising:
a piston chamber-forming body disposed about a central axis,
a piston-forming element received in the piston chamber-forming body coaxially slidable inwardly and outwardly therein between an outward extended position and an inward retracted position,
the piston chamber-forming body having an inner tubular member extending axially between an axial inner end of the inner tubular member and an axially outer end of the inner tubular member,
the inner tubular member having a circumferential side wall defining a central passage axially through the inner tubular member open both at the axial inner end of the inner tubular member and the axial outer end of the inner tubular member,
the axially outer end of the inner tubular member open to a discharge outlet,
the piston chamber-forming body having an outer tubular member extending axially between an axial inner end of the outer tubular member and an axially outer end of the outer tubular member,
the outer tubular member disposed coaxially about the inner tubular member,
the piston chamber-forming body having an annular flange fixedly connecting the outer tubular member to the inner tubular member, the annular flange extending radially inwardly from the outer tubular member to the inner tubular member closing the inner end of the outer tubular member,
an annular air chamber defined annularly between the outer tubular member and the inner tubular member axially outwardly of the annular flange, the air chamber closed at an annular axially inner end of the air chamber by the annular flange and open axially outwardly through the axially outer end of the outer tubular member,
at least one axially and circumferentially extending guide slot extending radially through the side wall of the inner tubular member between the air chamber and the central passage,
the inner end of the inner tubular member in communication with liquid in a reservoir,
a liquid chamber defined inside the inner tubular member axially inwardly of the guide slot,
the piston-forming element having an axially extending tubular hollow inner stem extending between an axially inner stem inner end and an axially inner stem outer end,
the inner stem having axially extending passageway therethrough closed at a passageway inner end and open at a passageway outer end through the inner stem outer end,
the inner stem coaxially received within the inner tubular member for reciprocal coaxial sliding therein between the extended position and the retracted position with the inner stem inner end coaxially slidably received in the liquid chamber and the inner stem outer end coaxially slidably received in the inner tubular member axially outwardly of the guide slot,
the piston-forming element having an annular sealing member coaxially slidably received in the air chamber spanning radially between the outer tubular member and the inner tubular member,
the piston-forming element having at least one spoke member extending radially through the guide slot to fixedly couple the inner stem to the annular sealing member with the spoke member being axially slidable in the guide slot with coaxial sliding of the piston-forming element relative to the piston chamber-forming body between the extended position and the retracted position,
the inner stem inner end carrying a fluid piston portion coaxially slidably received in the liquid chamber defining with the liquid chamber, a liquid pump which, with reciprocal coaxial sliding of the piston-forming element relative the piston chamber-forming body, draws the liquid from the reservoir and discharges the liquid into the passageway, axially outwardly through the passageway and out the passageway outer end into the central passage of the inner tubular member,
the annular sealing member having a radially outer seal member engaging the outer tubular member to prevent fluid flow outwardly therebetween and a radially inner seal member engaging the inner tubular member axially outwardly of the guide slot to prevent fluid flow outwardly therebetween,
the annular sealing member coaxially slidably received in the air chamber defining with the air chamber an air pump which, with reciprocal coaxial sliding of the piston-forming element relative the piston chamber-forming body, draws air from the atmosphere into the air chamber and discharges air from the air chamber radially inwardly through the guide slot to the central passage,
wherein with reciprocal coaxial sliding of the piston-forming element relative the piston chamber-forming body, liquid discharged by the liquid pump and air discharged by the air pump are simultaneously passed through the central passage and out the discharge outlet.

2. A pump as claimed in claim 1 including a one-way air inlet valve to permit air from the atmosphere to be drawn into the air chamber by the air pump when the air pump creates across the one-way air inlet valve a sufficient vacuum below a pressure of the atmosphere air pressure.

3. A pump as claimed in claim 2 wherein the one-way air inlet valve permits air from the atmosphere adjacent to the piston chamber-forming body to be drawn into the air chamber by the air pump when the air pump creates across the one-way air inlet valve a sufficient vacuum below a pressure of the atmosphere air pressure.

4. A pump as claimed in claim 2 including a radial transfer port radially through the inner stem into the passageway axially outwardly of the liquid pump,
wherein the air pump discharges air from the air chamber radially inwardly through the guide slot into the central passage about the inner stem open to the radial transfer port and hence through the radial transfer port into the passageway, then simultaneously with the fluid discharged by the liquid pump axially outwardly through the passageway and out the passageway outer end into the central passage of the inner tubular member axially outwardly of the inner stem outer end.

5. A pump as claimed in claim 1 including:
an annular space extending axially within the central passage radially between the inner stem and the side wall of the inner tubular member open to the guide slot,
the annular space axially outwardly of the liquid pump and closed at an axial inner end by the fluid pump,
a transfer pathway providing communication from the annular space to outwardly of the inner stem outer end,
wherein the air pump discharges air from the air chamber radially inwardly through the guide slot into the annular space and via the transfer pathway to outwardly of the inner stem outer end.

6. A pump as claimed in claim 5 wherein:
the transfer pathway includes a first pathway provided by the annular space extending axially within the central passage radially between the inner stem and the side wall of the inner tubular member open to outwardly of the inner stem outer end of the inner stem, and
the air pump discharges air from the air chamber radially inwardly through the guide slot into the annular space through the annular space to the central passage axially outwardly of the inner stem outer end, and then, simultaneously with the fluid discharged by the liquid pump from the passageway outer end, axially outwardly from the inner stem outer end through the central passage to the discharge outlet.

7. A pump as claimed in claim 6 wherein:
the transfer pathway includes a second pathway provided by a radial transfer port from the annular space radially through the inner stem into the passageway axially outwardly of the liquid pump, and
the air pump discharges air from the air chamber radially inwardly through the guide slot into the annular space to the radial transfer port and hence through the radial transfer port into the passageway, and then

Assignees

• Op Hygiene Ip Gmbh
• Op Hygiene Ip Gmbh

Inventors

• Ophardt Heiner
• Jones Andrew
• Ten Valery

Classifications

• A47K5/1205 Primary

  Dispensing from the top of the dispenser with a vertical piston · CPC title

• F04B19/06

  Pumps for delivery of both liquid and elastic fluids at the same time (wet gas pumps F04B37/20) · CPC title

• F04B23/028

  the pump being mounted on top of the reservoir · CPC title

• A47K2005/1218

  Table mounted; Dispensers integrated with the mixing tap · CPC title

• A47K5/16

  with mechanical drive · CPC title