Dispenser for personal hygiene liquids
First Claim
1. A dispenser for a personal hygiene liquid comprising a container for the liquid, which liquid has a level situated at a first height, a liquid outlet situated at a second height lower than the first height, a conduit for allowing flow of liquid from said container to said liquid outlet in response to hydrostatic pressure of the liquid, said conduit comprising a flexible tube having one end inserted into said container for siphoning the liquid and including a sealable opening and means cooperating with said opening for drawing liquid into said flexible tube by creating a below atmospheric pressure environment within said conduit, and a valve for controlling the flow of liquid through said outlet, a support for movably supporting said container in the dispenser, resilient means for supporting said support and adapted to increase the height of said container to keep the liquid level at the first height during flow of liquid out of said container to keep the hydrostatic pressure at said outlet substantially constant.
1 Assignment
0 Petitions
Accused Products
Abstract
A vertically movable container for dispensing a liquid from an outlet in response to gravity is raised as a function of the depletion of the liquid to maintain the hydrostatic pressure at the outlet essentially constant and to provide a constant rate of outflow. A selectively operated on/off valve controls the flow from the container.
74 Citations
37 Claims
- 1. A dispenser for a personal hygiene liquid comprising a container for the liquid, which liquid has a level situated at a first height, a liquid outlet situated at a second height lower than the first height, a conduit for allowing flow of liquid from said container to said liquid outlet in response to hydrostatic pressure of the liquid, said conduit comprising a flexible tube having one end inserted into said container for siphoning the liquid and including a sealable opening and means cooperating with said opening for drawing liquid into said flexible tube by creating a below atmospheric pressure environment within said conduit, and a valve for controlling the flow of liquid through said outlet, a support for movably supporting said container in the dispenser, resilient means for supporting said support and adapted to increase the height of said container to keep the liquid level at the first height during flow of liquid out of said container to keep the hydrostatic pressure at said outlet substantially constant.
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7. A dispenser for dispensing a liquid from a flexible sealed container through an outlet at a constant rate in response to the force of gravity irrespective of the fill of the container, said dispenser comprising in combination:
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(a) a conduit in fluid communication with the outlet and having a hollow needle for penetrable engagement with the container to obtain fluid communication between the container and the outlet; (b) an on/off valve for controlling the flow from the container to the outlet; (c) a further valve for initially drawing fluid from the container through said needle and into said conduit; and (d) a support for supporting the container, said support including means for raising the container as a function of the depletion of the liquid from the container to maintain the hydrostatic pressure at the outlet constant during flow of the liquid through the outlet. - View Dependent Claims (8, 9)
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10. A dispenser for dispensing a liquid at a constant flow rate, said dispenser comprising in combination:
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(a) a container for containing the liquid to be dispensed; (b) a support for supporting the container, said support including a shelf for supporting said container and at least one post in penetrable engagement with said shelf; (c) an outlet for discharging the liquid; (d) a conduit for conveying the liquid from said container to said outlet; (e) a valve for controlling flow of liquid through said outlet; and (f) a weight responsive element for raising said support in proportion to depletion of the liquid from said container to maintain the hydrostatic pressure at said outlet essentially constant irrespective of the degree of fill of said container. - View Dependent Claims (11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19)
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20. A dispenser for dispensing a liquid at a constant flow rate, said dispenser comprising in combination:
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(a) a flexible container for containing the liquid to be dispensed; (b) a support for supporting the container; (c) an outlet for discharging the liquid; (d) a conduit for conveying the liquid from said container to said outlet, said conduit including a hollow needle having an apertured end in penetrable engagement with the interior of said container; (e) a valve for controlling flow of liquid through said outlet; (f) a sensor for sensing the proximity of a user and for actuating said valve in response to proximity of the user; and (g) a weight responsive element for raising said support in proportion to depletion of the liquid from said container to maintain the hydrostatic pressure at said outlet essentially constant irrespective of the decree of fill of said container. - View Dependent Claims (21, 22, 23, 24, 25, 26, 27)
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28. A dispenser for dispensing a liquid at a constant flow rate, said dispenser comprising in combination:
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(a) a container for containing the liquid to be dispensed; (b) a support for supporting the container; (c) an outlet for discharging the liquid; (d) a conduit for conveying the liquid from said container to said outlet; (e) a valve for controlling flow of liquid through said outlet; (f) a further valve in fluid communication with said conduit for interconnecting said conduit with a source of below ambient pressure to draw the liquid into said conduit from said container to initially fill said conduit with the liquid; and (g) a weight responsive element for raising said support in proportion to depletion of the liquid from said container to maintain the hydrostatic pressure at said outlet essentially constant irrespective of the degree of fill of said container. - View Dependent Claims (29, 30, 31, 32, 33, 34, 35, 36, 37)
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Specification