FOAM PUMP

• US 20150320266A1
• Filed: 05/12/2015
• Published: 11/12/2015
• Est. Priority Date: 05/12/2014
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: DEB IP Limited (SC Johnson & Son Incorporated)
• Original Assignee: Pibed Limited
• Inventors: CREAGHAN, David Michael Ross, BUTLER, Robert, LIMBERT, Dean Philip, LANG, Christopher James, BANKS, Stewart
• Granted Patent: US 9,718,069 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: A47K 5/1204 by means of a rigid dispensing chamber and pistons
• 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 5/14 Foam or lather making devices for shaving A45D27/02
• CPC Class Codes: B05B 11/1001 Piston pumps B05B11/1087, B05B11/1088, B05B11/109 take precedence
• CPC Class Codes: B05B 11/1087 Combination of liquid and air pumps
• CPC Class Codes: B05B 7/0037 including sieves, porous members or the like
• CPC Class Codes: B05B 7/1245 A gas valve being opened before a liquid valve

Abstract

The present disclosure relates to a non-aerosol foam pump for use in association with an unpressurized liquid container and a foaming element comprising. The pump includes a liquid pump portion and an air pump portion. The liquid pump portion has a liquid chamber with a liquid internal volume and a shuttle liquid piston. The liquid chamber is in flow communication with the unpressurized liquid container and in flow communication with the foaming element. The air pump portion has an air chamber with an air internal volume. The air chamber is in flow communication with the foaming element. The liquid pump portion and the air pump portion have an activation stroke and a return stroke. During the activation stroke the air internal volume is reduced and during a beginning stage of the stroke the liquid internal volume remains the same and during a later stage the liquid internal volume is reduced.

Claims

1. A non-aerosol foam pump for use in association with an unpressurized liquid container and a foaming element comprising:

a liquid pump portion having a liquid chamber with a liquid internal volume and a shuttle liquid piston, the liquid chamber being in flow communication with the unpressurized liquid container and in flow communication with the foaming element;

an air pump portion having an air chamber with an air internal volume, the air chamber in flow communication with the foaming element; and

wherein the liquid pump portion and the air pump portion have an activation stroke and a return stroke and during the activation stroke the air internal volume is reduced and during a beginning stage of the activation stroke the liquid internal volume of the liquid chamber remains the same and during a later stage of the activation stroke the liquid internal volume of the liquid chamber is reduced.

2. The non-aerosol foam pump of claim 1 wherein the shuttle liquid piston includes a shuttle portion and a main portion and the shuttle portion slidingly engages the main portion, the shuttle portion slides relative to the main portion in the beginning stage of the activation stroke and engages the main portion in the later stage of the activation stroke thereby reducing the liquid internal volume of the liquid chamber in the later stage of the activation stroke.

3. The non-aerosol foam pump of claim 1 wherein foaming element includes a sparging element, a foaming element air chamber in flow communication with the air chamber and a foaming chamber in flow communication with the liquid chamber and wherein air is pushed from the foaming element air chamber through the sparging element into the foaming chamber.

4. The non-aerosol foam pump of claim 3 wherein the foaming element is a first foaming element and further including a second foaming element and wherein liquid from the liquid chamber is in flow communication with the first and second foaming element and air from the air chamber is in flow communication with the first and second foaming element and wherein the first and second foaming element each have exit channels that merge into a merged flow channel and into an exit nozzle.

5. The non-aerosol foam pump of claim 1 further including an activator and the shuttle liquid piston includes a shuttle portion and a main portion and activator slides along the shuttle portion at the beginning stage of the activation stroke and in the later stage of the activation stroke the activator engages the main portion whereby in the later stage of the activation stroke the liquid internal volume of the liquid chamber is reduced.

6. The non-aerosol foam pump of claim 1 further including a dispenser for housing the liquid pump portion, the air pump portion and liquid container.

7. The non-aerosol foam pump of claim 2, wherein the air pump portion further comprises an air piston.

8. The non-aerosol foam pump of claim 7, further including an activator connected to the air piston and the shuttle portion of the shuttle liquid piston, whereby the air piston is operably connected to the shuttle liquid piston through the activator.

9. The non-aerosol foam pump of claim 8, wherein the shuttle portion of the shuttle liquid piston is slidingly attached to the activator and the air piston is rigidly attached to the activator.

10. The non-aerosol foam pump of claim 7, the air piston is operably connected to the liquid piston, such that the shuttling liquid piston is actuated upon actuating the air piston.

11. The non-aerosol foam pump of claim 10, wherein liquid chamber is co-axial with the air chamber.

12. The non-aerosol foam pump of claim 11 wherein the air piston includes a liquid piston portion that slidingly engages the shuttle liquid piston.

13. The non-aerosol foam pump of claim 11 further including a liquid outlet valve between the liquid chamber and the foaming element.

14. The non-aerosol foam pump of claim 10, wherein the shuttle liquid piston extends coaxially within the air pump portion, and the air piston is attached to the shuttle portion of the shuttle liquid piston.

15. The non-aerosol foam pump of claim 14, further including a liquid outlet valve between the liquid chamber and the foaming element.

16. The non-aerosol foam pump of claim 15 wherein the foaming element comprises a mixing chamber and a foaming portion, whereby a mixture of the air and liquid is pushed from the mixing chamber through the foaming portion.

17. The non-aerosol foam pump of claim 1 wherein the foaming element includes a foaming portion and the foaming portion is a porous member.

18. A non-aerosol foam pump for use in association with an unpressurized liquid container comprising:

a liquid pump portion having a liquid chamber with a liquid internal volume and a shuttle liquid piston, the liquid chamber being in flow communication with the unpressurized liquid container;

an air pump portion having an air chamber with an air internal volume; and

a first foaming element and a second foaming element and wherein liquid from the liquid chamber is in flow communication with the first and second foaming element and air from the air chamber is in flow communication with the first and second foaming element and wherein the first foaming element and second foaming element each have exit channels that merge into a merged flow channel and into an exit nozzle.

19. The non-aerosol foam pump of claim 18 wherein the first foaming element and the second foaming element each include a sparging element, a foaming element air chamber in flow communication with the air chamber and a foaming chamber in flow communication with the liquid chamber and wherein air is pushed from the foaming element air chamber through the sparging element into the foaming chamber.