An adaptor assembly for a fluid dispensing system

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-2023210316-A1
Application number	US-202017927528-A
Country	US
Kind code	A1
Filing date	Jun 17, 2020
Priority date	May 20, 2020
Publication date	Jul 6, 2023
Grant date	—

Abstract

An adaptor assembly for use in a dispenser for a replaceable fluid container comprising a fluid reservoir and a fluid pump. The adapter assembly is used in conjunction with the dispenser to allow a use of a fluid container having a pump being actuated by laterally compressing it. The adaptor assembly comprises an actuation part being movable, when mounted in the dispenser, and comprises a first contact surface for abutting against the user actuator and a second contact surface for abutting against the pump. The adaptor assembly also comprises a first connecting support for removably connecting the actuation part to the dispenser and/or the fluid container mounted in the compartment. A fixed dolly is configured to abut against the pump, wherein the pump is able to be configured between the second contact surface of the actuation part. A fluid dispensing system and a dispenser including the adaptor assembly is also disclosed.

First claim

1 . An adaptor assembly for use in a dispenser for a replaceable fluid container comprising a fluid reservoir and a fluid pump, wherein the dispenser comprises a housing and a compartment therein for containing the fluid container, the dispenser having a front portion, a rear portion, and upper and lower end portions, the lower end portion forming a dispensing end portion of the dispenser and comprising a user actuator, by which the dispenser is operated to dispense a dose of a fluid from the fluid container through a nozzle at the lower end portion,
wherein the compartment of the dispenser is sized to receive a fluid container having a pump of a first type being an axially compressible pump and the actuator has an engagement portion for actuating the pump of the first type by axially compressing it in a vertical direction, and wherein the adapter assembly is used in conjunction with the dispenser to allow a use of a fluid container having a pump of a second type within the dispenser, the second type being actuated by laterally compressing it, the adaptor assembly comprising:
an actuation part being movable between a non-actuated position and a fully actuated position, when mounted in the dispenser, wherein the actuation part comprises a first contact surface for abutting against the user actuator and a second contact surface for abutting against the pump of the second type, wherein a user force (P) applied to the user actuator displaces the actuation part of the adaptor assembly, when mounted in the dispenser, from its non-actuated position towards an actuated position, thereby transferring an actuation force (TF) from the actuation part via the second contact surface to the pump of the fluid container, when mounted in the compartment, wherein the pump is laterally compressed to cause fluid to be dispensed from the fluid container,
a first connecting support for removably connecting the actuation part to the dispenser and/or the fluid container mounted in the compartment, and
a fixed dolly configured to abut against the pump of the second type, wherein the pump of the second type is able to be configured between the second contact surface of the actuation part and the fixed dolly such that when a user force (P) is applied to the user actuator, the pump is laterally compressed between said second contact surface and the fixed dolly causing fluid to be dispensed from the fluid container.

2 . (canceled)

3 . The adaptor assembly according to claim 1 , wherein the first connecting support is configured to removably connect the fixed dolly to the dispenser and/or the fluid container mounted in the compartment.

4 . The adaptor assembly according to claim 1 , wherein the pump of the second type has a resilient pumping chamber, wherein the resilient pumping chamber is an elongated and elastic tube chamber extending downwards at the lower portion of the fluid container in a direction from the bottom of the fluid reservoir to a nozzle of the elastic tube chamber.

5 . (canceled)

6 . The adaptor assembly according to claim 1 , wherein the user actuator is a user lever configured to pivot about a first pivot and extends from the pivot towards a user operating portion of the user lever, and the user actuator has a surface that faces the compartment and is configured to abut the first contact surface of the actuation part, wherein the user lever extends downward from the first pivot.

7 . (canceled)

8 . The adaptor assembly according to claim 1 , wherein the actuation part comprises an elongated arm extending in a substantially longitudinal direction (L1) thereof between two opposite ends of the arm, of which the first end is connected to the first connecting support, and the second end has an actuation head, wherein the actuation head is movable between the non-actuated position and the fully actuated position, wherein the actuation head comprises the second contact surface for abutting against the pump of the second type and the first contact surface for abutting against the user actuator.

9 . (canceled)

10 . (canceled)

11 . (canceled)

12 . (canceled)

13 . (canceled)

14 . The adaptor assembly according to claim 8 , wherein the elongated arm is a flexible arm for allowing said movement of the actuation head between the non-actuated position and the fully actuated position.

15 . The adaptor assembly according to claim 1 , wherein the fixed dolly has a dolly surface for abutting and receiving the pump, and the dolly surface faces the actuation part and comprises a recessed surface portion.

16 . (canceled)

17 . (canceled)

18 . (canceled)

19 . (canceled)

20 . (canceled)

21 . The adaptor assembly according to claim 15 , wherein the second contact surface has a maximum lateral width so that it can at least partly be received into the recessed surface portion, when the actuation part is in a fully actuated position.

22 . The adaptor assembly according to claim 15 , wherein at least a portion of the dolly surface forms a recessed surface portion being concave and in the form of a hollow half of a cone that is tapering in a direction from an upper end to a lower end of said recessed surface portion.

23 . The adaptor assembly according to claim 15 , wherein at least a lower portion of the fixed dolly forms a recessed surface portion being concave and forming a hollow semicylinder.

24 . The adaptor assembly according to claim 22 , wherein an upper portion of the fixed dolly surface forms the recessed surface portion being in the form of a hollow half of a cone and the lower portion of the fixed dolly surface forms a recessed surface portion forming a hollow semicylinder.

25 . (canceled)

26 . The adaptor assembly according to claim 1 , further being configured so that at least a portion of the second contact surface abuts the pump in the non-actuated position abuts in a prestressed manner.

27 . (canceled)

28 . The adaptor assembly according to claim 1 , further comprising one or more stabilizers for preventing sideward movements and/or tilting of the adaptor assembly during use.

29 . The adaptor assembly according to claim 1 , further comprising a fluid container support configured to be received in the compartment of the dispenser for holding the fluid container in a desired position in the compartment of the dispenser, wherein the fluid container support forms the first connecting support.

30 . (canceled)

31 . (canceled)

32 . The adaptor assembly according to claim 29 , wherein the fluid container support comprises one or more fluid container positioning means for engaging corresponding one or more connecting portions of the fluid container and preventing axial and/or rotational movement of the fluid container in the dispenser.

33 . The adaptor assembly according to claim 1 , further comprising one or more positioning means for engaging corresponding one or more connectors in the dispenser and preventing axial and/or rotational movement of the adaptor assembly in the dispenser, and/or for preventing wrong positioning of the adapter assembly in the dispenser.

34 . (canceled)

35 . (canceled)

36 . (canceled)

37 . (canceled)

38 . (canceled)

Assignees

• Essity Hygiene & Health Ab

Inventors

• Crismann Sebastiano
• Hodossy Sofia
• Walheim Karl
• Olsson Joel

Classifications

• B05B11/103

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

• A47K5/1209 Primary

  with chamber in the form of a cylindrical tube · CPC title

• A47K2201/02

  Connections to a wall mounted support · CPC title

• A47K5/12 Primary

  for liquid or pasty soap · CPC title

• B05B11/1014

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