Pump for discharging doses of liquid, gel-like or viscous substances

• US 6,406,207 B1
• Filed: 08/24/2001
• Issued: 06/18/2002
• Est. Priority Date: 07/10/1997
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Georg Wiegner
• Original Assignee: Georg Wiegner
• Inventors: Wiegner, Georg, Kim, Hyeong Sook (Morin)
• Primary Examiner(s): Walczak, David J.
• Application Number:
  US09/938,887
• Time in Patent Office: 298 Days
• Field of Search: 401/272, 401/187, 401/188.R, 401/189, 401/270, 401/273, 401/278, 401/279, 401/183, 401/184, 401/185, 401/186, 222/207
• US Class Current: 401/272
• CPC Class Codes: A45D 2200/056 Reciprocating pumps, i.e. with variable volume chamber wherein pressure and vacuum are alternately generated
• CPC Class Codes: A45D 34/00 Containers or accessories specially adapted for handling liquid toiletry or cosmetic substances, e.g. perfumes
• CPC Class Codes: A46B 11/0027 Lead-screw mechanisms
• CPC Class Codes: A46B 11/0055 with a reciprocating piston or plunger acting as the pressurising means
• CPC Class Codes: A46B 11/0058 with a metered dosage
• CPC Class Codes: A46B 2200/1066 Toothbrush for cleaning the teeth or dentures A61C17/16 takes precedence; bristles arrangements for toothbrushes A46B9/04
• CPC Class Codes: A46B 9/04 Arranged like in or for toothbrushes
• CPC Class Codes: B05B 11/0037 Containers for several components B05B11/0078
• CPC Class Codes: B05B 11/0038 Inner container disposed in an outer shell or outer casing
• CPC Class Codes: B05B 11/028 Pistons separating the content remaining in the container from the atmospheric air to compensate underpressure inside the container
• CPC Class Codes: B05B 11/1028 Pumps having a pumping chamber with a deformable wall B05B11/1087 take precedence
• CPC Class Codes: B05B 11/1067 actuated by pressure
• CPC Class Codes: B05B 11/1069 the valve being made of a resiliently deformable material or being urged in a closed position by a spring
• 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
• CPC Class Codes: B65D 83/0094 Containers having an external wall formed as, or with, a diaphragm or the like which is deformed to expel the contents B65D1/32 takes precedence

Abstract

A pump for discharging doses of liquid, gel-like or viscous substances from a container, having a pump body made of a flexible and elastic material which can be squeezed together to form a suction vacuum and delivers the liquid via an outlet valve, which opens under overpressure. In order to provide a pump of the type mentioned, which is of simple construction and is at the same time self-priming, provision is made for the outlet valve to be configured as a valve plate which closes the pump body at the top, is molded integrally onto the latter, is convex in the delivery direction, and has an incision which forms the valve outlet in the form of a lip seal.

Claims

1. A toothbrush comprising a hollow toothbrush handle into which a replaceable cartridge can be inserted and a toothbrush head seated on top of the toothbrush handle,

said cartridge comprising a container containing a flowable dental care media, and a pump for discharging doses of the flowable media,

said pump comprising a pump body being made of a flexible and elastic material and being configured in a dome-like manner to define an outlet chamber for storing said media received from said container for subsequent delivery, having a centrally located nipple on top of which an outlet valve is formed, wherein the outlet valve is configured as a valve plate which is convex in the delivery direction and has an incision which forms a valve outlet in the form of a lip seal, and having an inlet valve closing the outlet chamber during squeezing while the outlet valve opens under pressure;

said toothbrush head comprising a delivery conduit into which the nipple of the pump is insertable to snugly seat the outlet valve in the toothbrush head, and an actuating element imposing around the nipple a circumferentially distributed pressure on the pump body for squeezing together the pump body to cause said incision to open and to deliver the media located in the outlet chamber to the toothbrush head at an opposite end of the delivery conduit.