Vacuum relief device

• US 20050061832A1
• Filed: 11/09/2004
• Published: 03/24/2005
• Est. Priority Date: 04/16/2002
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Heiner Ophardt
• Original Assignee: Heiner Ophardt
• Inventors: Ophardt, Heiner
• Granted Patent: US 7,377,405 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 222/188
• CPC Class Codes: A47K 5/1202 dispensing dosed volume A47K5/1201 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: A47K 5/1211 using pressure on soap, e.g. with piston A47K5/1201 takes precedence; by squeezing A47K5/122
• CPC Class Codes: A47K 5/122 using squeeze bottles or the like A47K5/1201 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: B05B 11/0044 compensating underpressure by ingress of atmospheric air into the container, i.e. with venting means venting means for deformable containers B05B11/047
• CPC Class Codes: B05B 11/0059 allowing operation in any orientation, e.g. for discharge in inverted position

Abstract

Liquid soap dispensers including a vacuum relief valve which comprises an enclosed chamber having an air inlet open to the atmosphere and a liquid inlet in communication with liquid in the reservoir and in which the liquid inlet opens to the chamber at a height below a height at which the air inlet opens to the chamber. The vacuum relief valve permits relief of vacuum from the reservoir without moving parts or valves.

Claims

1. In combination, an enclosed liquid containing reservoir, a pump and a vacuum relief device,

the reservoir having a dispensing outlet and a liquid outlet and within which reservoir a vacuum below atmospheric pressure is developed on drawing liquid from the reservoir via the dispensing outlet,

the dispensing outlet connected with the pump which is operable to draw liquid from the reservoir via the dispensing outlet,

the vacuum relief device is adapted to permit atmospheric air to enter the reservoir via the liquid outlet to reduce any vacuum developed in the reservoir,

the vacuum relief device comprising an enclosed chamber having an air inlet and a liquid inlet,

the liquid inlet open to the chamber at a height which is below a height at which the air inlet is open to the chamber,

the air inlet in communication with air at atmospheric pressure such that the chamber is at atmospheric pressure,

the liquid inlet connected by via a liquid passageway with the liquid outlet,

the liquid inlet at a height below a height of liquid in the reservoir such that when there is atmospheric pressure in the reservoir under gravity the liquid from the reservoir fills the liquid passageway and, via the liquid passageway, fills the chamber to a height above the height of the liquid inlet and below the height of the air inlet, and wherein when operation of the pump dispenses liquid out the dispensing outlet and creates increasing vacuum below atmospheric in the reservoir, the height of liquid in the chamber decreases until the height of liquid is below the height of the liquid inlet and the liquid inlet is open to air in the chamber such that air in the chamber flows under gravity upward through the liquid passageway to the reservoir to decrease vacuum in the reservoir.

2. A combination as claimed in claim 1 including a valve movable to open and close the rigid passageway.

3. In combination, an enclosed, liquid containing reservoir and a vacuum relief device and a pump,

the reservoir having a reservoir outlet and within which reservoir a vacuum below atmospheric pressure is developed on drawing liquid from the reservoir via the outlet, and

the vacuum relief device is adapted to permit atmospheric air to enter the reservoir to reduce any vacuum developed in the reservoir,

the vacuum relief device comprising an enclosed chamber having an air inlet and a liquid inlet,

the liquid inlet open to the chamber at a height, which is below a height at which the air inlet is open to the chamber,

the air inlet in communication with air at atmospheric pressure such that the chamber is at atmospheric pressure,

the liquid inlet connected by via a liquid passageway with the reservoir outlet,

the liquid inlet at a height below a height of liquid in the reservoir such that when there is atmospheric pressure in the reservoir under gravity, the liquid from the reservoir fills the liquid passageway and, via the liquid passageway, fills the chamber to a height above the height of the liquid inlet and below the height of the air inlet, and wherein with increased vacuum below atmospheric in the reservoir the height of liquid in the chamber decreases until the height of liquid is below the height of the liquid inlet and the liquid inlet is open to air in the chamber such that air in the chamber flows under gravity upward through the liquid passageway to the reservoir to decrease vacuum in the reservoir,

a liquid outlet from the chamber open to the chamber at a height below the height of the liquid inlet,

a feed passageway connecting the liquid outlet with the pump, the pump being operable to draw liquid from the chamber via the liquid outlet and dispense it via a dispensing passageway to a dispensing outlet open to atmospheric pressure,

the dispensing passageway in extending from the pump to the dispensing outlet rising to a height above the height of the liquid inlet such that liquid in the dispensing passageway will, when the pump is not operating, assume a height in the dispensing passageway which is the same as the height in the chamber and below a height from which fluid in the passageway may, due to gravity, flow out of the dispensing outlet.

4. A combination as claimed in claim 3 wherein the dispensing passageway in extending from the pump to the dispensing outlet rising upwardly to an upper height above the height of the liquid inlet and above the height of the dispensing outlet then dropping downwardly to the dispensing outlet.

5. A combination as claimed in claim 3 wherein when the pump is not dispensing the liquid in the dispensing passageway assumes, in the dispensing passageway between the pump and a portion of the dispensing passageway having the upper height, a height below the upper height.

6. A combination as claimed in claim 5 wherein the liquid has a viscosity of 1.5 or less.

7. A combination as claimed in claim 6 wherein the liquid is an alcohol based cleaning or disinfecting liquid.

8. A combination as claimed in claim 5 including a valve movable to open and close the liquid passageway.

9. A liquid dispenser comprising:

a resilient, enclosed container enclosed but for having at one end of the container a neck open at a container outlet opening,

a cap having an end wall and a side wall extending from the end wall to an remote portion of the side wall,

a cap outlet opening through the side wall,

the cap received on the neck with the neck extending into the cap,

the remote portion of the cap about the neck engaging the neck to form fluid impermeable seal therewith,

a passageway defined between the neck and the side wall of the cap outwardly of the neck and inwardly of the side wall open to both the container outlet opening and the cap outlet opening,

wherein when the container is in an inverted position with the neck located below the remainder of the container, the container outlet opening is at a height which is below a height of the cap outlet opening.

10. A combination as claimed in claim 9 wherein the cap is movable relative the neck between a closed position in which the cap prevents fluid flow through the passageway and an open position in which the passageway is open to fluid flow.

11. A combination as claimed in claim 10 wherein in the closed position the end wall of the cap engages the neck to close the container outlet opening preventing fluid flow there through and in the open position the end wall is spaced away from the container outlet opening.

12. A liquid dispenser as claimed in claim 9 wherein the container is resiliently deformable with an inherent shape having an inherent internal volume,

the container being resilient such that after being deformed by forces forcing the container to assume shapes different than its inherent shape and having volumes less than the inherent volume, on release from such forces the resiliency of the container biases the container toward reassuming its inherent shape and creating a vacuum in the container,

when the container, in the inverted position, is deformed to the shapes different than the inherent shape than liquid in the container is forced to flow out of the container via the container outlet opening through the passageway and out the cap outlet opening,

when a vacuum exists in the container with the container in an inverted position liquid in the cap is drawn back into the container until the height of liquid in the cap is below to the height of the container outlet opening and container outlet opening is open to air in the cap such that air in the cap flows under gravity upward through the neck into the container to decrease vacuum in the container,

the container outlet opening at a height below a height of liquid in the container such that when pressure in the container is atmospheric pressure, due to gravity the liquid from the container fills the neck and passageway to a height above the height of the container outlet opening and below the height of the cap outlet opening.

13. A combination as claimed in claim 11 wherein the side wall of the cap is disposed coaxially about the neck and the cap is axially movable relative the neck between the open position and the closed position.

14. A combination as claimed in claim 12 wherein the cap is movable relative the neck between a closed position in which the cap prevents fluid flow through the passageway and an open position in which the passageway is open to fluid flow.

15. A combination as claimed in claim 14 wherein in the closed position the end wall of the cap engages the neck to close the container outlet opening preventing fluid flow there through and in the open position the end wall is spaced away from the container outlet opening.

16. A combination as claimed in claim 15 wherein the side wall of the cap is disposed coaxially about the neck and the cap is axially movable relative the neck between the open position and the closed position.

17. A liquid dispenser comprising:

an enclosed non-collapsible container enclosed but for having at one end of the container a neck open at a container outlet opening,

a dispensing plug received in the container outlet opening comprising a piston chamber forming element defining an outwardly opening cylindrical chamber with a piston member slidably received therein for reciprocal sliding to dispense liquid from the container and in dispensing liquid create a vacuum within the container,

a vacuum relief device carried on the dispensing plug adapted to permit atmospheric air to enter the container to reduce any vacuum developed in the container,

the vacuum relief device comprising an enclosed chamber having an air inlet and a liquid inlet,

the liquid inlet open to the chamber at a height, which is below a height at which the air inlet is open to the chamber,

the air inlet in communication through the dispensing plug with air at atmospheric pressure such that the chamber is at atmospheric pressure,

the liquid inlet connected by via a liquid passageway with liquid in the container,

the liquid inlet at a height below a height of liquid in the container such that when pressure in the container is atmospheric pressure, due to gravity the liquid from the container fills the liquid passageway and, via the liquid passageway, fills the chamber to a height above the height of the liquid inlet and below the height of the air inlet, and wherein on dispensing liquid from the container increases vacuum below atmospheric in the container, the height of liquid in the chamber decreases until the height of liquid is below the height of the liquid inlet and the liquid inlet is open to air in the chamber such that air in the chamber flows under gravity upward through the liquid passageway to the container to decrease vacuum in the reservoir.

18. A liquid dispenser as claimed in claim 17 wherein the piston forming element having axially inwardly of the piston chamber a vessel having a bottom wall, a cylindrical side wall and a top wall,

a holding tube extending from the bottom wall upwardly within the vessel towards the top wall to an upper end of the holding tube which comprises the air inlet,

the holding tube defining the chamber therein,

an air passage between the holding tube and the side wall extending from the bottom wall to the top wall,

an opening open to atmosphere at a height below the air inlet through the bottom wall or the side wall into the air passage between the holding tube and the side walls,

the liquid passageway defined within a liquid tube extending from an opening in the top wall downwardly within the chamber towards the bottom wall into the holding tube to a lower end of the liquid tube which comprises the liquid inlet with a transfer passage between the holding tube and liquid tube for fluid passage formed between the air inlet and the liquid inlet.

19. A dispenser as claimed in claim 17 including a valve movable to open and close the liquid passageway.