DISCHARGE HEAD, AND LIQUID DISPENSER COMPRISING SUCH A DISCHARGE HEAD

• US 20190308780A1
• Filed: 11/10/2017
• Published: 10/10/2019
• Est. Priority Date: 11/17/2016
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Aptar Radolfzell GmbH (AptarGroup Incorporated)
• Original Assignee: Aptar Radolfzell GmbH (AptarGroup Incorporated)
• Inventors: BAUMANN, Tobias, BRUDER, Thomas
• Granted Patent: US 11,066,218 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• CPC Class Codes: B05B 11/0062 Outlet valves actuated by the pressure of the fluid to be sprayed fluid-actuated pump outlet valve arrangements B05B11/1016, B05B11/1022, B05B11/1033, B05B11/1036, B05B11/104, B05B11/1064, B05B11/1097
• CPC Class Codes: B05B 11/1073 Springs
• CPC Class Codes: B65D 47/0804 integrally formed with the base element provided with the spout or discharge passage
• CPC Class Codes: B65D 47/18 for discharging drops; Droppers droppers in general B01L3/00; pipettes connected to container closures B01L3/0282
• CPC Class Codes: B65D 47/2031 the element being formed by a slit, narrow opening or constrictable spout, the size of the outlet passage being able to be varied by increasing or decreasing the pressure B65D47/2025 takes precedence

Abstract

Discharge head for a liquid dispenser including a housing, a coupling device for attachment to a liquid store, a discharge opening through which liquid is dispensed and an outlet channel extending from an inlet region, pointing in the direction of the liquid store, up to the discharge opening and via which the discharge opening is supplied with liquid. A throttle device is arranged in the outlet channel and includes a throttle channel for reducing liquid pressure and/or liquid flow through the throttle device. The throttle device is designed in the form of a dynamic throttle device, in which a free cross section of the throttle channel is reduced in size with increasing pressure prevailing at the throttle device, or with greater liquid flow flowing through the throttle device.

Claims

1. A discharge head for a liquid dispenser, with the following features:

a. the discharge head has a housing, and

b. the discharge head has a coupling device for attachment to a liquid store, and

c. the discharge head has a discharge opening through which liquid is able to be dispensed into a surrounding atmosphere, and

d. the discharge head has an outlet channel which extends from an inlet region, pointing in the direction of the liquid store, up to the discharge opening and by means of which the discharge opening is able to be supplied with liquid, and

e. the discharge head has, in the outlet channel, a throttle device with a throttle channel for the reduction in the liquid pressure and/or the liquid flow of the liquid flowing through the throttle device, and

f. the throttle device is designed in the form of a dynamic throttle device, in which a free cross section of the throttle channel is reduced in size with increasing pressure prevailing at the throttle device, or with greater liquid flow flowing through the throttle device, and

g. the throttle channel is delimited, at least in sections, by an inner side of a channel wall whose position is able to be varied by displacement or deformation.

2. The discharge head as claimed in claim 1, with the following additional feature:

a. an outer side of the channel wall, which faces away from the inner side, is connected in a communicating manner to an inlet of the throttle channel such that, when the liquid is subjected to pressure for the purpose of discharge, an identical pressure increase is realized at the inlet of the throttle channel and at the outer side of the channel wall.

3. The discharge head as claimed in claim 1, with the following additional features:

a. the positionally variable channel wall is part of a planar wall plate, and

b. a positionally fixed channel wall is provided opposite the positionally variable channel wall, wherein the positionally variable channel wall and the positionally fixed channel wall define the throttle channel between them.

4. The discharge head as claimed in claim 3, with the following additional feature:

a. the positionally fixed channel wall is formed by a housing wall of the housing, and

b. the wall plate is, with a fastening region, arranged positionally fixed with respect to the housing wall and, with a deformable section, projects over the throttle channel in a manner approximately parallel to the positionally fixed channel wall.

5. The discharge head as claimed in claim 3, with the following additional features:

a. the discharge head has at least two throttle channels, which are connected in parallel with respect to one another in terms of flow, and

b. the wall plate is provided as a common wall plate, which delimits the at least two throttle channels in sections.

6. The discharge head as claimed in claim 1, with the following feature:

a. at least one aperture, into which the throttle channel opens, is provided in the housing wall forming the positionally fixed channel wall.

7. The discharge head as claimed in claim 1, with the following feature:

a. the wall plate has a fastening opening in the fastening region, which is snapped onto a housing-side fastening pin.

8. The discharge head as claimed in claim 1, with the following feature:

a. at least one elevation is provided on the housing wall or the wall plate, in the region of which the housing wall and the wall plate bear against one another.

9. The discharge head as claimed in claim 1, with the following additional features:

a. the discharge head has a throttle component composed of an elastically deformable material as part of the throttle device, and

b. the throttle component has an aperture which is surrounded by a deformation region and which forms the throttle channel, and

c. the throttle component has at least one pressure application surface, against which, during operation, the liquid bears upstream of the throttle channel and by way of whose pressure application the deformation region is deformed and a free cross section of the throttle channel is able to be reduced in size.

10. The discharge head as claimed in claim 9, with the following additional feature:

a. the throttle component has an elevation which is bulged in the upstream direction and in which the throttle channel is provided.

11. The discharge head as claimed in claim 9, with the following additional feature:

a. the throttle component has an encircling edge region on the outside, which is integrally connected to the deformation region and in the region of which the elastic throttle component is fastened to a rigid housing section of the housing by way of a snap-action connection or an integral formation.

12. The discharge head as claimed in claim 9, with the following additional feature:

a. the throttle component has an encircling edge region on the outside, which is integrally connected to the deformation region and is arranged such that, when the liquid store is coupled, it seals off the liquid store with respect to the housing.

13. The discharge head as claimed in claim 9, with the following additional features:

a. the throttle channel has at least one closure region, in the region of which opposite edges of the throttle channel come to bear against one another as a result of the pressure application surface being subjected to force, and

b. the throttle channel has at least one free region, which is delimited by an edge arrangement which does not lead to closure of the free region even when the pressure application surface is subjected to force.

14. The discharge head as claimed in claim 1, with the following additional feature:

a. the throttle channel is delimited by two rigid channel walls, wherein one of the channel walls is provided as a positionally variable channel wall on a positionally variable throttle component.

15. The discharge head as claimed in claim 14, with the following additional feature:

a. the positionally variable throttle component is mounted so as to be movable, in particular linearly movable, with respect to the housing by means of a guide, preferably a linear guide.

16. The discharge head as claimed in claim 14, with the following additional feature:

a. a spring device by means of which the throttle component is permanently subjected to force in a direction of enlargement of the free cross section of the throttle channel is provided between the housing and the throttle component.

17. The discharge head as claimed in claim 14, with the following additional feature:

a. the throttle component is designed such that, and/or is attached to the housing such that, pressure application surfaces on the throttle component which are active for displacement cause, with identical pressure on all pressure application surfaces, the throttle component to be subjected to force in a direction in which the free cross section of the throttle channel is reduced in size.

18. The discharge head as claimed in claim 1, with the following additional feature:

a. the discharge head has, in the outlet channel downstream of the throttle device, an outlet valve which opens in dependence on the positive pressure prevailing upstream.

19. The discharge head as claimed in claim 18, with the following additional feature:

a. the outlet valve closes automatically in a pressure interval between a defined inlet-side negative pressure and an inlet-side positive pressure and opens when the defined negative pressure is exceeded and when the defined positive pressure is exceeded.

20. The discharge head as claimed in claim 18, with the following additional feature:

a. the outlet valve is formed from an elastic material and has a bulge which is directed upstream and in which a valve opening, which is able to be closed by valve lips, is provided such that, with increasing inlet-side positive pressure, the valve lips are increasingly pressed against one another by the positive pressure up to the attainment of an inlet-side limit pressure for positive pressure.

21. The discharge head as claimed in claim 1, with the following additional feature:

a. the discharge head is designed for the formation of drops, wherein the throttle device is designed for a limitation of the liquid flow, which leads to the formation of single drops, and not to the formation of a liquid jet, at the discharge opening.

22. The discharge head as claimed in claim 1, with the following additional feature:

a. the discharge opening is surrounded by a drop formation surface, preferably in the form of a spherical cap.

23. The discharge head as claimed in claim 1, with the following additional feature:

a. the housing of the discharge head comprises a first, integral base component, which comprises the coupling device for attachment to the liquid store, and a second, integral applicator component, which has the discharge opening and is penetrated by the outlet channel and is fastened to the base component, wherein the outlet valve is preferably positionally fixed between the base component and the applicator component.

24. A liquid dispenser for dispensing liquid, in particular for dispensing cosmetic or pharmaceutical liquids, with the following features:

a. the liquid dispenser has a discharge head with a discharge opening for dispensing of liquid into a surrounding atmosphere, and

b. the liquid dispenser has a liquid store, which is connected to a housing of the discharge head by way of a detachable coupling device or an integral formation, and

c. the discharge head is designed as claimed in claim 1.

25. The liquid dispenser as claimed in claim 24, with the following additional feature:

a. the liquid dispenser is designed in the form of a drop dispenser.

26. The liquid dispenser as claimed in claim 24, with the following additional feature:

a. the liquid store is designed in the form of a squeeze bottle or tube.

27. The liquid dispenser as claimed in claim 24, with the following additional feature:

a. an inner volume of the liquid store is less than 300 ml, preferably less than 100 ml, in particular preferably less than 50 ml.

28. The liquid dispenser as claimed in claim 24, with the following additional feature:

a. the liquid store is filled with a cosmetic or pharmaceutical liquid.