Outlet valve arrangements for enhanced pump efficiency

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-11852247-B2
Application number	US-202117387186-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Jul 28, 2021
Priority date	Mar 2, 2018
Publication date	Dec 26, 2023
Grant date	Dec 26, 2023

Abstract

A dispenser includes a housing, an inverted container disposed in the housing, a outlet nozzle, a pump, a first check valve, and a second check valve. The pump is disposed between the container and the outlet nozzle. The pump includes a pump inlet a pump outlet, and a pump chamber. The pump chamber is movable between an expanded position and a compressed position. The first check valve is disposed between the pump and the outlet nozzle, and the first check valve has a first cracking pressure. The second check valve is disposed between the first check valve and the outlet nozzle, and the second check valve has a second cracking pressure. The second cracking pressure of the second check valve is greater than the first cracking pressure of the first check valve.

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1. A dispenser comprising:
a housing;
an actuator located within the housing;
a holder for holding a container of soap, sanitizer or lotion;
a sequentially activated multi-diaphragm pump having a plurality of pump chambers;
the pump having an inlet, the plurality of pump chambers, and an outlet;
a first outlet valve located downstream of at least one of the plurality of pump chambers;
a second outlet valve located downstream of the first outlet valve;
a conduit located between the first outlet valve and the second outlet valve; and
an outlet nozzle;
wherein, during a selected dispensing time, the first outlet valve cycles open and closed at least two times for every time the second outlet valve cycles open and closed.

2. The dispenser of claim 1 , wherein the first outlet valve is a normally-closed valve.

3. The dispenser of claim 1 , wherein the first outlet valve has a minimal cracking pressure.

4. The dispenser of claim 3 , wherein the minimal cracking pressure is between 0 and 2 psi.

5. The dispenser of claim 1 , wherein the second outlet valve has a cracking pressure that is configured to prevent fluid flow from the container through the at least one of the plurality of pump chambers when the at least one of the plurality of pump chambers is not operating.

6. The dispenser of claim 1 , wherein the first outlet valve is one of an umbrella valve, a duckbill valve and a flapper valve.

7. The dispenser of claim 1 , wherein the second outlet valve is a ball and spring valve.

8. The dispenser of claim 1 , further comprising a third outlet valve disposed between the pump and the second outlet valve;
wherein movement of a first pump chamber causes the first outlet valve to move to an open position such that fluid flows from the first pump chamber, past the first outlet valve, past the second outlet valve, and out of the outlet nozzle; and
wherein movement of a second pump chamber causes the third outlet valve to move to an open position such that fluid flows from the second pump chamber, past the third outlet valve, past the second outlet valve, and out of the outlet nozzle.

9. The dispenser of claim 1 , wherein the-at least one of the plurality of pump chambers has a volume of between about 0.2 cc and about 0.5 cc when the at least one of the plurality of pump chambers is in an expanded position.

10. The dispenser of claim 1 , wherein a ratio of a cracking pressure of the second outlet valve to a cracking pressure of the first outlet valve the second cracking pressure to the first cracking pressure is between about 2 to 1 and about 4 to 1.

11. A dispenser comprising:
a housing;
an actuator located within the housing;
a holder for holding a container of soap, sanitizer or lotion;
a sequentially activated multi-diaphragm pump having a plurality of pump chambers;
the pump having an inlet, the plurality of pump chambers, and an outlet;
the plurality of pump chambers comprising at least one liquid pump chamber;
the at least one liquid pump chamber having a pump chamber volume that is the volume of the expanded pump chamber;
a first outlet valve located downstream of the at least one pump chamber;
a second outlet valve located downstream of the first outlet valve;
a conduit located between the first outlet valve and the second outlet valve;
the conduit having a conduit volume that is the volume of the area between the first outlet valve and the second outlet valve; and
an outlet nozzle;
wherein, the conduit volume is greater than the pump chamber volume.

12. The dispenser of claim 11 wherein the conduit volume is greater than two times the volume of the at least one liquid pump chamber.

13. The dispenser of claim 11 wherein the conduit volume is greater than three times the volume of the at least one liquid pump chamber.

14. The dispenser of claim 11 wherein the conduit volume is greater than four times the volume of the at least one liquid pump chamber.

15. A dispenser for dispensing soap, sanitizer or lotion comprising:
a housing;
a container having a liquid outlet located proximate the bottom of the container disposed in the housing holding a soap, a sanitizer or a lotion;
an outlet nozzle; and
a sequentially activated multi-diaphragm pump having a plurality of pump chambers;
the pump disposed between the container and the outlet nozzle, the pump having:
a pump inlet in fluid communication with the container;
a pump outlet in fluid communication with the outlet nozzle;
at least one liquid pump chamber of the plurality of pump chambers is in fluid communication with the pump inlet and the pump outlet, wherein the liquid pump chamber is movable between an expanded position and a compressed position;

a fast acting check valve disposed between the pump outlet and the outlet nozzle
a slow acting check valve disposed between the fast acting check valve and the outlet nozzle;
wherein the fast acting check valve opens and closes more times than the slow acting check valve during a dispense of fluid from the dispenser.

16. The dispenser of claim 15 , wherein the fast acting check valve is one of an umbrella valve, a duckbill valve, and a flapper valve.

17. The dispenser of claim 15 , wherein the slow acting check valve is a ball and spring valve.

18. The dispenser of claim 15 , further comprising a second fast acting check valve disposed between the pump and the slow acting check valve;
wherein movement of a first pump chamber of the plurality of pump chambers causes the fast acting check valve to open and close; and
wherein movement of a second pump chamber of the plurality of pump chambers causes the second fast acting check valve to open and close;
and wherein fluid that flows past the first fast acting check valve and the second fast acting check valve, causes the slow acting check valve to open to allow the fluid to flow past.

Assignees

• Gojo Ind Inc

Inventors

• Mcnulty John J
• Harris Donald R
• Ciavarella Nick E
• Willis Daniel M
• Marshall Aaron D

Classifications

• A47K5/14

  Foam or lather making devices · CPC title

• F16K1/307 Primary

  Additional means used in combination with the main valve · CPC title

• A47K5/1207

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

• A47K5/1208

  by means of a flexible dispensing chamber · CPC title

• B05B11/0075 Primary

  Two outlet valves being placed in a delivery conduit, one downstream the other · CPC title