Fluid Delivery System

• US 20120187152A1
• Filed: 07/06/2010
• Published: 07/26/2012
• Est. Priority Date: 07/10/2009
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Reckitt & Colman (Overseas) Health Limited (Reckitt Benckiser Group PLC)
• Original Assignee: Reckitt & Colman Overseas Ltd (Reckitt Benckiser Group PLC)
• Inventors: Zhou, Xianzhi, Xiaoyou, Dong
• Granted Patent: US 8,757,454 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 222/333
• CPC Class Codes: A47K 5/1204 by means of a rigid dispensing chamber and pistons
• CPC Class Codes: B05B 11/1097 with means for sucking back the liquid or other fluent material in the nozzle after a dispensing stroke

Abstract

A fluid delivery system comprising a pump arranged to draw fluid, in use, from a reservoir (1) and dispense it through a dispensing tube (4), the pump comprising a cylinder (21) in which a piston (22) is reciprocally movable; an inlet into the cylinder; a one-way inlet valve (17) for controlling flow through the inlet; an outlet from the cylinder and leading to the dispensing tube; and an outlet valve (27) controlling flow through the outlet, wherein the piston is arranged to selectively contact the outlet valve to maintain it open during the initial portion of its downstroke and to allow it to close for the remainder of the downstroke.

Claims

1. A fluid delivery system comprising:

a pump arranged to draw fluid, in use, from a reservoir and dispense it through a dispensing tube, the pump comprising a cylinder in which a piston is reciprocally movable;

an inlet into the cylinder;

a one-way inlet valve for controlling flow through the inlet;

an outlet from the cylinder and leading to the dispensing tube; and

an outlet valve controlling flow through the outlet, wherein the piston is arranged to selectively contact the outlet valve to maintain it open during the initial portion of its downstroke and to release it to close for the remainder of the downstroke.

2. A system according to claim 1, wherein the outlet valve comprises a valve element positioned in an orifice at a side wall of the cylinder and biased to a closed position in which the valve element projects into the cylinder, the valve element being arranged to be opened by the piston moving in the cylinder past the outlet valve element and pushing the projecting part of the valve element out of the cylinder against the action of the biasing force.

3. A system according to claim 1, wherein the inlet valve comprises a floating valve element.

4. A system according to claim 1, wherein the dispensing tube comprises an upward portion extending away from the piston leading into a curved transitional portion, the curved transitional portion leading to a generally downwardly facing outlet.

5. A system according to claim 4, wherein the piston is configured to suck the liquid back to a location, which is back beyond the point where it could flow out of the outlet under gravity.

6. A dispenser for soap and the like having a replaceable reservoir of liquid, the reservoir having an outlet orifice at its lower end and a reservoir outlet valve for controlling the flow from the outlet, a base unit having a spigot which engages with the outlet in the reservoir to open the valve, the base unit being provided with a fluid delivery system according to claim 1, the one-way inlet valve being arranged to control the flow of liquid through the spigot and into the cylinder.

7. A dispenser according to claim 6, wherein the base unit is provided with a motor, a control circuit and a sensor to detect the presence of movement in the vicinity of the dispensing tube, the control circuit being arranged to drive the motor to move the piston when movement is detected.

8. A dispenser according to claim 6, the dispenser being a free standing unit.

9. A dispenser according to claim 8, wherein the dispenser is battery powered.