Liquid dispenser for dispensing foam

• US 6,082,586 A
• Filed: 03/30/1998
• Issued: 07/04/2000
• Est. Priority Date: 03/30/1998
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: DEB IP Limited (SC Johnson & Son Incorporated)
• Original Assignee: DEB IP Limited (SC Johnson & Son Incorporated)
• Inventors: Banks, Stewart
• Primary Examiner(s): Kaufman, Joseph A.
• Application Number:
  US09/050,130
• Time in Patent Office: 827 Days
• Field of Search: 222/95, 222/105, 222/145.5, 222/181.3, 222/189.06, 222/189.11, 222/190, 222/325, 222/340, 222/383.1
• US Class Current: 222/95
• CPC Class Codes: A47K 5/14 Foam or lather making devices for shaving A45D27/02
• CPC Class Codes: B05B 11/026 Membranes separating the content remaining in the container from the atmospheric air to compensate underpressure inside the container
• CPC Class Codes: B05B 11/1087 Combination of liquid and air pumps
• CPC Class Codes: B05B 11/1097 with means for sucking back the liquid or other fluent material in the nozzle after a dispensing stroke
• CPC Class Codes: B05B 7/0037 including sieves, porous members or the like

Abstract

There is disclosed a foaming device for dispensing foam. The device includes a collapsible liquid container and a foam pump attached to the container outlet. The foam pump includes two enclosures, the first being bonded in the throat of the container and the second being telescopingly received in the first with a flexible seal mounted on the second enclosure to provide an air tight seal. When assembled, the two enclosures define an air chamber and a fluid chamber each having outlets which merge by the foamer outlet. The fluid chamber accepts liquid from the container and when the second member is moved with respect to the first member the fluid chamber is pressurized to open an outlet valve and air is simultaneously expelled through the outlet. The liquid and air commingle as they pass through a wire, plastic or fabric mesh thereby forming the foam. There is included a dispenser housing for releasibly receiving the collapsible liquid container and foam pump. The dispenser includes a push button pivotally attached thereto which is coupled to the second enclosure so that as the push button is moved the pump is actuated.

Claims

1. A device for producing and dispensing foam, comprising:

a) a collapsible container having an interior and a throat; and

b) pump means attached to said container, the pump means including opposing first and second enclosure members, the first enclosure member being sealed in said throat with an air-tight seal, the second enclosure member having a flexible seal angled outwardly therefrom toward and engaging the first enclosure member, the second enclosure member being mounted within said first enclosure member and telescopingly movable with respect thereto, the first and second enclosure members cooperating to define an air chamber therebetween, the flexible seal providing a friction fit and an air seal between the first and second enclosure members to thereby facilitate pressurizing the air chamber as the second enclosure member is urged toward the first enclosure member, the air chamber being in communication with a mixing chamber, a fluid flow passageway having a fluid inlet in flow communication with the interior of the container, the fluid inlet including a fluid inlet valve for admitting liquid into said flow passageway from the interior of the container, a fluid outlet valve in the flow passageway for controlling flow of liquid from the flow passageway into the mixing chamber, an outlet passageway communicating with the mixing chamber, and a porous member located downstream from the fluid outlet valve and the mixing chamber for foaming air and liquid mixed in the mixing chamber and passing through the porous member, whereby moving the second enclosure member towards the first enclosure member reduces a volume of the air chamber and a volume of the flow passsageway and pressurizes air in the air chamber and liquid in the flow passageway and forces commingled air and liquid through the porous member to form a foam expelled through the outlet passageway.

2. The device according to claim 1 wherein the first enclosure member is provided with a tube defining a first portion of said flow passageway extending from said fluid inlet, the second enclosure member having a distal end portion and a proximal end portion, said flexible seal extending around said proximal end portion and bearing against an interior surface of said first enclosure member.

3. The device according to claim 2 wherein said outlet passageway is located in said distal end portion, and wherein said second enclosure member includes a piston comprising a piston head and an outer piston tube being attached to said piston head at a proximal end of said outer piston tube, said piston defining a second portion of said flow passageway extending therethrough, and wherein a distal end of said outer piston tube is inserted into said tube of said first enclosure member for reciprocating movement therein.

4. The device according to claim 3 wherein said piston includes an inner piston tube concentric with the outer piston tube, a distal end of said inner piston tube being attached to the distal end of said outer piston tube, said inner piston tube defining said second portion of said flow passageway through said piston, said inner and outer piston tubes defining said mixing chamber therebetween, and wherein said outer piston tube includes at least one aperture for communication of said mixing chamber with said air chamber, and wherein said outlet valve is connected to a proximal end of said inner piston tube.

5. The device according to claim 4 wherein the fluid outlet valve is a flexible top hat valve, and wherein when the flow passageway is sufficiently pressurized the liquid inlet valve closes and the top hat valve opens thereby forcing liquid through said top hat valve into said mixing chamber to commingle with air and be expelled through the porous member and the outlet passageway.

6. The device according to claim 5 wherein said distal end portion of the second enclosure member includes a web defining said outlet passageway, and wherein said porous member is a gauze disc positioned between said piston head and said web.

7. The device according to claim 4 wherein said at least one aperture is spaced from the distal end of said outer piston tube, said outer piston tube including at least one slot extending from said at least one aperture to said proximal end of said outer piston tube defining an air flow path into said mixing chamber when said piston is inserted into said tube to a position wherein said tube covers the at least one aperture.

8. The device according to claim 4 wherein said second enclosure member is provided with a shoulder spaced from said proximal end portion thereof, and wherein said flexible seal is attached to said shoulder.

9. The device according to claim 8 wherein said first and second enclosure members are cylindrically shaped and said shoulder is a circumferential shoulder, and wherein said flexible seal is a U-shaped cylindrically shaped seal with an inner vertical wall that snap locks into a groove located in said circumferential shoulder.

10. The device according to claim 5 wherein the inlet valve includes a valve stem attached to a valve seat, the valve stem being located in the fluid inlet and protruding into the interior of the container, the valve seat being located in the first portion of the flow passageway and wherein moving the second enclosure member away from the first enclosure member reduces the pressure in the flow passageway thereby drawing the inlet valve to an open position and pumping liquid from the container into the flow passageway, and wherein moving the second enclosure member towards the first enclosure member pressurizes the flow passageway thereby forcing the inlet valve towards the interior of the container so that the valve seat seals the fluid inlet.

11. The device according to claim 5 including a dispenser housing, the container with attached pump means being releasably insertable into said dispenser housing, wherein the first enclosure member includes a first circumferential lip, the second enclosure member including a circumferential lip, the dispenser housing including a first coupling mechanism for releasibly gripping said first circumferential lip, the dispenser housing including a second coupling means for releasibly gripping said second circumferential lip.

12. The device according to claim 11 wherein the dispenser housing includes at least a pumping mechanism connected to the second coupling means whereby activating the pumping mechanism causes the second enclosure member to undergo reciprocating movement with respect to said first enclosure member.

13. The device according to claim 12 wherein said pumping mechanism includes at least one lever, the second enclosure member being connected to the at least one lever so that moving the at least one lever moves the second enclosure member with respect to the first enclosure member.

14. The device according to claim 13 wherein the pumping mechanism includes a bias means for urging the second enclosure member away from the first enclosure member.

15. The device according to claim 13 wherein said pumping mechanism includes a push button pivotally attached to the dispenser housing and engaged to said at least one lever, said dispenser housing including biasing means for biasing the second enclosure member away from said first enclosure member, whereby depressing the pushbutton causes the second enclosure member to move towards the first enclosure member, and upon release of the pushbutton said biasing means urges said second enclosure member away from the first enclosure member.

16. The device according to claim 1 wherein the air chamber communicates with the mixing chamber through at least one aperture that is spaced from the fluid outlet valve.

17. The device according to claim 4 wherein said at least one aperture in said outer piston tube is located at the distal end of the outer piston tube.