Dispensing device

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-2023398562-A1
Application number	US-202118250696-A
Country	US
Kind code	A1
Filing date	Oct 26, 2021
Priority date	Oct 27, 2020
Publication date	Dec 14, 2023
Grant date	—

Abstract

A dispensing device includes an air inlet hole passing through a cylinder in its thickness direction to connect an internal space of the container to an external space; and an action valve fitted onto an outer circumferential surface of the cylinder to close the air inlet hole, and that is isolated from the outer circumferential surface of the cylinder to introduce external air to the container when an internal pressure of the container is lower than an external pressure. An upper end portion of the cylinder is diametrically larger than a lower end portion. The action valve includes a ring-shaped annular section; and a valve section that extends axially from the annular section to close the air inlet hole while maintaining a radial clearance from the air inlet hole, to shield the air inlet hole from the internal space of the container.

First claim

1 . A dispensing device, comprising:
a cap that is mounted on a neck portion of a container; a cylinder that is fitted onto to an inner section of the cap while being communicated with an internal space of the container; a piston that reciprocates in an axial direction within the cylinder while being in contact with an inner surface of the cylinder; a nozzle member that is reciprocatably attached to the cap to be pushed in the axial direction toward the cylinder thereby pushing the piston; a returning mechanism that pushes the piston back to an initial position; a flow passage passing through the piston in the axial direction; a nozzle hole that is communicated with one of openings of the flow passage; an air chamber that is formed in one of internal spaces of the cylinder divided by the piston to which the other opening of the flow passage opens; a valve mechanism that connects the air chamber to the internal space of the container and the flow passage when the nozzle member is pushed down; an air inlet hole passing through a cylindrical portion of the cylinder in a thickness direction to connect the internal space of the container to an external space; and an action valve that is fitted onto an outer circumferential surface of the cylinder to close the air inlet hole, and that is isolated from the outer circumferential surface of the cylinder to introduce external air to the container when an internal pressure of the container is reduced lower than an external pressure, wherein: the cylinder comprises a lower end portion and an upper end portion that is diametrically larger than the lower end portion; and the action valve comprises
a ring-shaped annular section whose inner diameter is larger than at least an outer diameter of the lower end portion, and
a valve section that extends from the annular section in the axial direction to close the air inlet hole while maintaining a clearance from the air inlet hole in a radial direction of the container, so as to shield the air inlet hole from the internal space of the container.

2 . The dispensing device as claimed in claim 1 ,
wherein the action valve further comprises a bulge that is formed on an end portion of the valve section opposite to the annular section to protrude radially inwardly to be in contact airtightly with the outer circumferential surface of the cylinder entirely, and the clearance is created between the valve section and the outer circumferential surface of the cylinder by bringing the bulge into contact with the outer circumferential surface of the cylinder.

3 . The dispensing device as claimed in claim 1 , wherein the annular section serves as a packing section that is interposed between the cap and the neck portion in the axial direction.

4 . The dispensing device as claimed in claim 1 , wherein the upper end portion includes a fitting portion that is formed on the cylinder above the air inlet hole in the axial direction, and the annular section is fitted onto the fitting portion.

5 . The dispensing device as claimed in claim 1 , wherein the valve section has a tapered shape such that inner and outer diameters of the valve section are reduced gradually from the annular section toward a leading edge of the valve section opposite to the annular section in the axial direction.

6 . The dispensing device as claimed in claim 1 , wherein the action valve has hardness within a range from 60 to 90 measured by a durometer of type A defined by JIS-K6253 (ISO7619).

7 . The dispensing device as claimed in claim 1 , wherein a thickness of the valve section is set within a range from 0.3 mm to 2.0 mm.

8 . The dispensing device as claimed in claim 1 ,
wherein an annular bead protruding radially outwardly is formed entirely on an outer circumferential surface of the upper end portion, and an annular groove into which the annular bead is fitted airtightly is formed on an inner circumferential surface of the valve section entirely in the vicinity of the annular section.

Assignees

• Daiwa Can Co Ltd

Inventors

• Morita Hiroya

Classifications

• B05B11/1047 Primary

  the pump being preassembled as an independent unit before being mounted on the container · CPC title

• B05B11/1001

  Piston pumps (B05B11/1087, B05B11/1088, B05B11/109 take precedence) · CPC title

• B05B11/1067

  actuated by pressure · CPC title

• B05B11/1098

  Air being permanently entrapped or sucked into the liquid pump chamber · CPC title

• B05B11/1087 Primary

  Combination of liquid and air pumps · CPC title