Cartridge for pump assembly carrying rasp

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-10154763-B2
Application number	US-201715787852-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Oct 19, 2017
Priority date	Aug 29, 2014
Publication date	Dec 18, 2018
Grant date	Dec 18, 2018

Abstract

A pump assembly for generating and dispensing of particles of a solid material with or without dispensing of a fluid. The pump assembly preferably includes a fluid pump which in a cycle of operation draws the fluid through a fluid inlet and dispenses the fluid out a fluid outlet. The pump assembly carries a block of the solid material coalesced together and a rasp member, which during the cycle of operation, moves relative the rasp in engagement with the block whereby the rasp member disengages particles of the solid material from the block which particles drop under gravity downwardly adjacent the fluid outlet, for example, onto a user's hand as in the case that the fluid is a hand cleaning fluid and the solid is a solid soap.

First claim

We claim:

1. A cartridge carrying a solid material to be eroded by a rasp member,
characterized by the cartridge comprising:

a plurality of segments of the solid material arranged circumferentially spaced about an axis in a circle,
each segment extending radially inwardly relative the axis from a radially outwardly directed outer end to a radially inwardly directed inner end for engagement with the rasp member coaxially centered within the segments, and
a circumferential band of resilient material encircling the segments, engaging the outer end of each segment and biasing each segment to move radially toward the axis.

2. The cartridge as claimed in claim 1 wherein each segment having a guide adapted to guide each segment for radial movement of the segment towards the axis.

3. The cartridge as claimed in claim 1 wherein each segment having a guide slot extending radially relative the axis adapted to guide each segment in radial movement of the segment towards the axis.

4. The cartridge as claimed in claim 1 in combination with a solid material cage,
the cage having a floor member with an axially directed floor surface disposed in a flat plane normal to the axis,
the segments received by the cage engaged on the floor member,
an engagement mechanism between the floor member and each segment guiding each segment for radial movement of the segment towards the axis without interference between adjacent of the segments.

5. The cartridge in combination with the solid material cage as claimed in claim 4 wherein:
the floor surface having a plurality of radially extending guide tongues circumferentially spaced in a circle about the axis,
each segment having a radially extending guide slot,
each guide tongue engaging one of the guide slots in a respective one of the segments to guide each segment in sliding radially inwardly from a first position in which the outer ends are spaced a first distance from the axis to a second position in which the outer ends are spaced a second distance from the axis less than the first distance.

6. The cartridge in combination with the solid material cage as claimed in claim 5 wherein each segment having a floor face disposed normal the axis.

7. The cartridge in combination with the solid material cage as claimed in claim 6 each guide slot is provided in the floor face of each segment.

8. The cartridge in combination with the solid material cage as claimed in claim 6 wherein the floor face of each segment is in sliding engagement with the floor surface.

9. The cartridge in combination with the solid material cage as claimed in claim 7 wherein the floor face of each segment is in sliding engagement with the floor surface.

10. The cartridge in combination with the solid material cage as claimed in claim 4 wherein:
the cage including a roof member with an axially directed roof surface disposed in a flat plane normal to the axis,
the segments retained disposed in the cage axially between the floor member and the roof member.

11. The cartridge in combination with the solid material cage as claimed in claim 9 wherein:
the cage including a roof member with an axially directed roof surface disposed in a flat plane normal to the axis,
the segments retained disposed in the cage axially between the floor member and the roof member.

12. The cartridge in combination with the solid material cage as claimed in claim 4 wherein:
an axially extending space is provided circumferentially between each adjacent of the segments, the space being sufficient to permit each segment to move radially toward the axis as its inner end is abraded by the rasp without engaging adjacent segments.

13. The cartridge in combination with the solid material cage as claimed in claim 11 wherein:
an axially extending space is provided circumferentially between each adjacent of the segments, the space being sufficient to permit each segment to move radially toward the axis as its inner end is abraded by the rasp without engaging adjacent segments.

14. The cartridge in combination with a solid material cage as claimed in claim 1 wherein the inner ends of the segments are spaced coaxially about the axis in a circle to receive the rasp coaxially therebetween.

15. The cartridge in combination with the solid material cage as claimed in claim 13 wherein the inner ends of the segments are spaced coaxially about the axis in a circle to receive the rasp coaxially therebetween.

16. The cartridge in combination with a solid material cage as claimed in claim 1 wherein the cage including a chute tube to guide particles discharged from the segments by the rasp to a solid material discharge outlet.

17. The cartridge in combination with the solid material cage as claimed in claim 11 wherein the cage including a chute tube to guide particles discharged from the segments by the rasp to a solid material discharge outlet.

18. The cartridge in combination with the solid material cage as claimed in claim 4 wherein the cage including a chute tube to guide particles discharged from the segments by the rasp to a solid material discharge outlet,
the chute tube is carried coaxially about the axis on the floor member providing a chute passage through the floor member to the discharge outlet.

19. The cartridge in combination with the solid material cage as claimed in claim 4 wherein the cartridge is removable, received in the cage for removal and replacement by an identical replacement cartridge.

20. The cartridge in combination with the solid material cage as claimed in claim 4 , in further combination with a pump assembly for dispensing of a fluid together particles of the solid material from the segments,
the pump assembly including a fluid pump which, in a cycle of operation, draws the fluid through a fluid inlet and dispenses the fluid out a fluid outlet,
the pump assembly carrying the rasp and, in the cycle of operation, moves the rasp coaxially along the axis coaxially within the inner ends of the segments whereby the bias of the circumferential band biases the inner end of each segment into engagement with rasp whereby the rasp disengages particles of the solid material from each segment which particles drop under gravity downwardly adjacent the fluid outlet.

Assignees

• Op Hygiene Ip Gmbh

Inventors

• Ophardt Heiner
• Jones Andrew
• Shi Zhenchun

Classifications

• A47K5/09

  with means for scraping or grating · CPC title

• A47K5/14

  Foam or lather making devices · CPC title

• F04B43/02

  having plate-like flexible members, e.g. diaphragms (F04B43/14 takes precedence) · CPC title

• A47K5/12 Primary

  for liquid or pasty soap · CPC title

• F04B23/028

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