Apparatus for making content liquid foamy for discharge and systems and methods thereof

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-11260355-B2
Application number	US-201816160335-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Oct 15, 2018
Priority date	Oct 17, 2017
Publication date	Mar 1, 2022
Grant date	Mar 1, 2022

Abstract

Systems, apparatuses, and methods for making content liquid foamy for discharge are described herein. A dispenser for making content liquid discharge foamy by mixing air flow from an air chamber with the content liquid flow from a liquid chamber can be provided. The dispenser can include a mixing chamber configured to mix air and content liquid; a porous member between an air passage from the air chamber and the mixing chamber; and a liquid passage from the liquid chamber to the mixing chamber. The liquid passage can have a first liquid passage and a plurality of second liquid passages. The liquid passage can be configured such that content liquid flows from the first liquid passage to the second liquid passages to the mixing chamber. The second liquid passages can be configured to provide flow of the content liquid in at least two directions.

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1. A foaming dispenser for making content liquid discharge foamy by mixing air flow from an air chamber with content liquid flow from a liquid chamber, comprising:
a mixing chamber configured to mix air and content liquid;
a porous member between an air passage from the air chamber and the mixing chamber;
a liquid passage from the liquid chamber to the mixing chamber, the liquid passage having a first liquid passage and a plurality of second liquid passages, the liquid passage being configured such that content liquid flows from the first liquid passage to the second liquid passages to the mixing chamber; and
a flow path, from the porous member to an opening of a cap discharge head where the foamy content liquid is discharged from the foaming dispenser, including a vertical flow and a horizontal flow, the vertical flow being parallel to a stem which extends into the liquid chamber and forms a part of the liquid passage, and the vertical flow having a length that is equal to or greater than the horizontal flow, wherein
the second liquid passages are configured to provide flow of the content liquid in at least two directions, and
the second liquid passages are contiguous with the first liquid passage.

2. The foaming dispenser according to claim 1 , wherein the plurality of second liquid passages comprise at least four second liquid passages.

3. The foaming dispenser according to claim 1 , wherein the plurality of second liquid passages include at least one pair of second liquid passages that output content liquid in opposite directions.

4. The foaming dispenser according to claim 1 , wherein the first liquid passage intersects the second liquid passages.

5. The foaming dispenser according to claim 1 , wherein a total sectional area of all of the second liquid passages is less than a total sectional area orthogonal to the first liquid passage.

6. The foaming dispenser according to claim 1 , wherein a total surface area of a surface of the porous member at an output side of the porous member is greater than a total sectional area of respective openings to the mixing chamber of the second liquid passages.

7. The foaming dispenser according to claim 1 , wherein an opening communicating from each of the second liquid passages to the mixing chamber is formed at an output side of the porous member.

8. The foaming dispenser according to claim 1 , wherein the foaming dispenser is structured such that the content liquid and the air flow first enter or are first provided to the mixing chamber at a same time.

9. The foaming dispenser according to claim 1 , wherein the mixing chamber is defined by at least a mixing chamber body and a surface of the porous member at an output side of the porous member.

10. The foaming dispenser according to claim 1 , wherein the content liquid is output radially inward from the second liquid passages into the mixing chamber in a direction that is perpendicular to a direction in which the stem extends and towards a same point on the direction in which the stem extends.

11. The foaming dispenser according to claim 1 , wherein the content liquid is output radially outward from the second liquid passages into the mixing chamber.

12. The foaming dispenser according to claim 1 , wherein the porous member is arranged between the first liquid passage and respective outputs of the plurality of second liquid passages, and below the mixing chamber.

13. The foaming dispenser according to claim 1 , wherein
the content liquid includes one or more of powder, particles, or abrasives, and
the foaming dispenser makes the content liquid including the one or more of powder, particles, or abrasives foamy.

14. The foaming dispenser according to claim 1 , wherein a blend ratio of the air and the liquid mixed by the mixing chamber is about 10˜40 by volume ratio.

15. The foaming dispenser according to claim 1 , further comprising a fixing member configured to retain the porous member, wherein the fixing member is provided at an output side of the porous member.

16. The foaming dispenser according to claim 1 , further comprising:
the air chamber; and
the liquid chamber,
wherein the air chamber and liquid chamber are different chambers.

17. The foaming dispenser according to claim 1 , wherein the foaming dispenser is a mechanical pump foaming dispenser configured to discharge the foamy content liquid via operation of a mechanical pump.

18. The foaming dispenser according to claim 1 , wherein the foaming dispenser is a squeezable foaming dispenser configured to discharge the foamy content liquid via a squeezing operation to a same chamber holding the content liquid and air.

19. The foaming dispenser according to claim 1 , further comprising a container body configured to hold at least the content liquid.

20. The foaming dispenser according to claim 1 , further comprising a fixing member configured to fix the porous member, wherein the fixing member is provided in the mixing chamber.

Assignees

• Kao Corp

Inventors

• King Chris
• Aoyama Ryohei
• Yashima Noboru

Classifications

• B01F25/313311

  Porous injectors · CPC title

• B01F23/235 Primary

  for making foam · CPC title

• B01F25/3111

  Devices specially adapted for generating foam, e.g. air foam · CPC title

• B01F35/75425 Primary

  using pistons or plungers · CPC title

• B01F35/7546

  using squeezing means on a deformable container · CPC title