Dispensing systems
First Claim
1. A dispensing system comprising:
- a container, said container having a side wall and a closed continuous base formed in one piece with the side wall and being adapted to hold a flowable material for dispensing;
a dispenser pump mounted at a top of the container to dispense said flowable material, the dispenser pump having an intake to receive said flowable material from the container;
a feed tube extending in the container down from the dispenser pump intake to the container base, to convey said flowable material from the container into the dispenser pump intake, the feed tube having a foot adjacent the container base;
a follower plate fitting axially slidably around the feed tube and extending out to the container side wall, to follow a surface of the flowable material down the container as dispensing thereof proceeds; and
the feed tube foot and the container base comprising respective interlock portions presenting respective laterally-directed surfaces which overlap axially in a close-fitting interlock engagement to inhibit sideways movement of the feed tube in the container.
9 Assignments
0 Petitions
Accused Products
Abstract
A dispensing system has a dispenser pump mounted on top of a container. Product in the container reaches the intake of the dispenser pump through a vertical feed tube which extends down to the container'"'"'s base. A follower plate fits around the feed tube and lies on top of the product and is slidable along the feed tube while sealing against the container'"'"'s side wall. The foot of the feed tube interlocks mechanically with the container base, e.g. by an upward projection on the container base which fits into the feed-tube at its foot. A preferred form of the upward projection has a series of radial fins to permit the flow of product and an upwardly tapered region to facilitate installation of the feed tube. By preventing sideways movement of the feed tube the interlock arrangement improves the performance of the follower plate.
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Citations
16 Claims
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1. A dispensing system comprising:
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a container, said container having a side wall and a closed continuous base formed in one piece with the side wall and being adapted to hold a flowable material for dispensing;
a dispenser pump mounted at a top of the container to dispense said flowable material, the dispenser pump having an intake to receive said flowable material from the container;
a feed tube extending in the container down from the dispenser pump intake to the container base, to convey said flowable material from the container into the dispenser pump intake, the feed tube having a foot adjacent the container base;
a follower plate fitting axially slidably around the feed tube and extending out to the container side wall, to follow a surface of the flowable material down the container as dispensing thereof proceeds; and
the feed tube foot and the container base comprising respective interlock portions presenting respective laterally-directed surfaces which overlap axially in a close-fitting interlock engagement to inhibit sideways movement of the feed tube in the container. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8)
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9. A dispensing system comprising:
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a moulded plastics container, said moulded plastics container having a closed continuous base and a sidewall moulded integrally with the base, and being adapted to hold flowable material for dispensing;
a dispenser pump mounted at a top of the moulded plastics container to dispense said flowable material;
the dispenser pump having an intake to receive said flowable material from the moulded plastics container;
a feed tube extending in the moulded plastics container from the dispenser pump intake down to the moulded plastics container base, to convey said flowable material from the moulded plastics container into the dispenser pump intake, the feed tube having a foot with a downwardly-opening annular periphery adjacent the moulded plastics container base;
a follower plate fitting axially slidably around the feed tube and extending out to the moulded plastics container side wall, to follow a surface of the flowable material down the moulded plastics container as dispensing proceeds; and
the container base having an interlock portion comprising a plurality of interlock segments projecting up from the container base, said interlock segments fitting against the annular periphery of the feed tube foot at circumferentially-spaced engagement locations to inhibit sideways movement of the feed tube in the container while permitting said flowable material to flow into the feed tube between said segments. - View Dependent Claims (10, 11, 12, 13)
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14. A dispensing system comprising:
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a cylindrical container, said container having a closed, continuous flat base, a side wall and a top cover cap and being adapted to hold a flowable material for dispensing;
a dispenser pump mounted at a top of the container through said top cover cap to dispense said flowable material;
the dispenser pump having an intake to receive saidflowable material from the container;
a feed tube extending in the container from the dispenser pump intake down to the container base, to convey said flowable material from the container into the dispenser pump intake, the feed tube having a foot adjacent the container base;
a follower plate fitting axially slidably around the feed tube and extending out to the container side wall, to follow the surface of the flowable material down the container as dispensing thereof proceeds; and
the container base comprising a single central upward projection having radially-outwardly-directed fins intersecting in a stellate arrangement, the fins having lower axially-extending edge portions which are radially-directed and engage with a close fit in the foot of the feed tube to inhibit sideways movement thereof in the container, and upper mutually convergent edge portions providing a guide to facilitate fitting of the feed tube foot onto the upward projection. - View Dependent Claims (15, 16)
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Specification