Trigger pump dispenser with interchangeable piston

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-10173234-B2
Application number	US-201514818116-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Aug 4, 2015
Priority date	Jun 16, 2011
Publication date	Jan 8, 2019
Grant date	Jan 8, 2019

Abstract

A trigger pump dispenser comprises a body, an outlet nozzle, a pump chamber, a piston for defining a variable volume in the pump chamber, a trigger coupled with the piston by interconnection means, and biasing means for biasing the trigger to a retracted position. The trigger is movable to cause the piston to pump liquid into and out of the pump chamber for dispensing through the outlet nozzle. The piston is interchangeably associatable with the trigger and the pump chamber so that different length pistons are usable to determine different maximum fill volumes of the pump chamber.

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1. A trigger pump dispenser comprising:
a body;
an outlet nozzle;
a pump chamber;
a piston for defining a variable volume in the pump chamber and thereby pumping liquid into and out of the pump chamber for dispensing through the outlet nozzle, the piston having a first length;
a trigger coupled with the piston, via an interconnection, the trigger movable from a rest position to a depressed position to cause the piston to move from a retracted position to an inserted position to pump liquid; and
biasing means for biasing the trigger to the rest position;
wherein the piston is moved back towards the retracted position as the trigger moves back towards the rest position under the action of the biasing means; and
wherein the piston is interchangeably associatable with the trigger and the pump chamber so that at least a second piston having a second length, the second length different from the first length, is couplable to the trigger by a second interconnection that is standardized with the interconnection, wherein substitutable pistons having different lengths are usable to determine different maximum fill volumes of the pump chamber.

2. The trigger pump dispenser of claim 1 , wherein the biasing means for biasing the trigger to the rest position comprises a spring.

3. The trigger pump dispenser of claim 1 , wherein the trigger pump dispenser is arranged on a container.

4. The trigger pump dispenser of claim 1 , wherein the piston is movable between a retracted position of larger chamber volume and an inserted position of lesser chamber volume, and
wherein the trigger is movable from a rest position at which the piston is in the retracted position and a depressed position at which the piston is in the inserted position;
the trigger pump dispenser comprising:
an inlet port and an outlet port defined by the body and adapted to be in communication with the pump chamber; and
an inlet valve adapted to close the inlet port when liquid to be dispensed is in the pump chamber and the piston is moved from the retracted position to the inserted position as the pump chamber decreases in volume, the inlet valve being adapted to open the inlet port when liquid to be dispensed is drawn into the pump chamber through the inlet port as the pump chamber volume increases when the piston is moved from the inserted position to the retracted position, and an outlet valve adapted to open the outlet port when the pump chamber decreases in volume as liquid therein is dispensed through the outlet port and adapted to close when the pump chamber increases in volume;
wherein the outlet valve comprises a precompression valve operable to allow liquid through the outlet nozzle only after a predetermined elevated pressure is established in the pump chamber, the precompression valve comprising an inflexible pressure plate coupled at its periphery by an annular spring member which biases the inflexible pressure plate to a closed position but flexes in response to the predetermined elevated pressure in the pump chamber acting on the inflexible pressure plate to move the inflexible pressure plate to an open position so that liquid can pass from the pump chamber and thereafter be dispensed through the outlet nozzle.

5. The trigger pump dispenser of claim 4 , further comprising a stop block projecting from the inflexible pressure plate to limit movement of the inflexible pressure plate.

6. The trigger pump dispenser of claim 5 , in which the annular spring member comprises an annular retention leg for holding the outlet valve against a wall of the pump chamber.

7. The trigger pump dispenser of claim 1 , wherein the trigger pump dispenser comprises a dispensing passage and the outlet nozzle is movable between a first “on” position in which it is in fluid communication with the dispensing passage and a second “off” position in which fluid communication with the dispensing passage is blocked.

8. The trigger pump dispenser of claim 7 , wherein the outlet nozzle is rotatable between the first “on” position and the second “off” position.

9. The trigger pump dispenser of claim 8 , wherein the first “on” position and the second “off” position are 180° apart.

10. The trigger pump dispenser of claim 7 , wherein the outlet nozzle is freely movable between the first “on” position and the second “off” position.

11. The trigger pump dispenser of claim 7 , further comprising child-resistant locking means for locking the outlet nozzle in the second “off” position and which must be released to allow movement to the first “on” position.

12. The trigger pump dispenser of claim 11 , wherein the child-resistant locking means comprises a locking pin projecting from the outlet nozzle that is shaped to engage with a notch in the body when the outlet nozzle is in the second “off” position and the locking pin is releasable by user engagement of the locking pin on the outlet nozzle to move the locking pin out of engagement with the notch in the body.

13. The trigger pump dispenser of claim 12 , wherein the locking pin is carried on a resilient arm on the outlet nozzle.

14. The trigger pump dispenser of claim 13 , wherein the resilient arm supports a push tab.

15. The trigger pump dispenser of claim 14 , wherein the locking pin is releasable by user engagement of the push tab.

16. The trigger pump dispenser of claim 15 , wherein in the first “on” position, the locking pin resides in a second notch in the body, the second notch being shaped such that the outlet nozzle can be rotated from the first “on” position to the second “off” position without releasing the locking pin.

17. The trigger pump dispenser of claim 15 , in which the outlet nozzle comprises a nozzle inlet and is connected to an end of a dispensing barrel that includes an arcuate dispensing outlet through which liquid to be dispensed can flow.

18. The trigger pump dispenser of claim 17 , in which the outlet nozzle is rotatable relative to the dispensing barrel between an “open” position in which the nozzle inlet is aligned with the dispensing outlet of the dispensing barrel and a “closed”position in which the nozzle inlet is not aligned with the dispensing outlet of the dispensing barrel.

19. The trigger pump dispenser of claim 18 , wherein the “open” position and the “closed” position are 180° apart.

Assignees

• Obrist Closures Switzerland

Inventors

• Hoffmann Christoph
• Pellenz Juergen
• Thanisch Klaus
• Stoelben Peter
• Natersky Klaus

Classifications

• B05B11/1005

  with means for adjusting or modifying pump stroke · CPC title

• B05B11/1059

  Means for locking a pump or its actuation means in a fixed position (B05B11/1091 takes precedence) · CPC title

• B05B11/1011

  without substantial movement of the nozzle in the direction of the pressure stroke · CPC title

• B05B11/1014 Primary

  the pump chamber being arranged substantially coaxially to the container · CPC title

• B05B11/007

  being opened by deformation of a sealing element made of resiliently deformable material, e.g. flaps, skirts, duck-bill valves · CPC title