Self-contained viscous liquid dispenser

• US 6,533,145 B2
• Filed: 07/23/2001
• Issued: 03/18/2003
• Est. Priority Date: 12/19/2000
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Kimberly-Clark Worldwide Incorporated (Kimberly-Clark Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Kimberly-Clark Worldwide Incorporated (Kimberly-Clark Corporation)
• Inventors: Lewis, Richard P., Mahaffey, Cleary E., Bennett, Mark A., Tramontina, Paul F., Mayberry, Pamela J., Bachtel, Randall M., Powling, David J.
• Primary Examiner(s): Kaufman, Joseph A.
• Application Number:
  US09/911,073
• Publication Number:
  US 20020074356A1
• Time in Patent Office: 603 Days
• Field of Search: 222/156, 222/181.2, 222/181.3, 222/321.7, 222/380, 222/481.5, 222/494
• US Class Current: 222/181.3
• CPC Class Codes: A47K 5/1204 by means of a rigid dispensing chamber and pistons

Abstract

A viscous liquid dispenser includes a housing that defines an internal liquid reservoir. A dispensing pump mechanism is disposed in communication with the reservoir and has a delivery end extending from the housing for manual operation by a user. A mounting mechanism is configured as an integral component of the housing and provides the dispenser with the ability to be detachably connected to complimentary mounting structure on a wall surface. A unique vent is disposed in the top wall of the housing to vent the reservoir upon actuation of the pump mechanism.

Claims

1. A self contained viscous liquid dispenser, comprising:

a housing;

an internal liquid reservoir defined by said housing;

a manually operated dispensing pump mechanism disposed in liquid communication with said reservoir and having a delivery end disposed for delivering metered doses of viscous liquid from said reservoir upon actuation thereof by a user;

a mounting mechanism formed integrally in said housing, said mounting mechanism detachably connectable with complimentary mounting structure on a wall surface such that upon mounting said housing, a back side of said housing is generally flush with the wall surface; and

a vent mechanism disposed in an upper wall of said housing, said vent mechanism further comprising a vent passage and a movable plug member resiliently disposed in said vent passage, said plug member sealing an orifice into said vent passage in an at-rest position and movable to unseal said orifice and vent said reservoir upon a sufficient vacuum being established in said reservoir upon actuation of said pump mechanism.

2. The dispenser as in claim 1, wherein said vent mechanism includes a body member insertable through an opening in said housing wall.

3. The dispenser as in claim 2, wherein said body member further includes at least one resilient member configured to engage and lock said body member to said housing wall.

4. The dispenser as in claim 3, wherein said body member includes at least one resilient tab disposed to engage against an inner surface of said housing wall and exert an inward pulling force on said body member.

5. The dispenser as in claim 4, including a plurality of said resilient tabs circumferentially spaced around said body member.

6. The dispenser as in claim 3, wherein said body member further includes a cap, said vent orifice defined through said cap, said cap further comprising a radially extending resilient circumferential lip that sealingly engages against said housing wall.

7. The dispenser as in claim 6, wherein said cap is disposed above an upper surface of said housing wall, said resilient lip sealingly engaging against said upper surface.

8. The dispenser as in claim 6, wherein said cap in disposed in a counterbore defined in said housing wall, said resilient lip sealingly engaging against a circumferential wall of said counterbore.

9. The dispenser as in claim 6, wherein said cap further comprises a downwardly extending resilient annual skirt that sealingly engages against said housing wall.

10. The dispenser as in claim 9, wherein said resilient annual lip engages against a circumferential side of said opening in said housing wall.

11. The dispenser as in claim 1, wherein said vent mechanism includes a body member insertable through an opening in said housing wall, said body member including at least one resilient member disposed to engage against an inner surface of said housing wall and exert an inward pulling force on said body member, said body member further including a cap with said vent orifice defined therethrough, said cap defining at least two separate and independent circumferential sealing surfaces that engage against and seal with different portions of said housing wall.

12. The dispenser as in claim 11, wherein said cap comprises a radially extending resilient circumferential lip that sealingly engages against a generally horizontal surface of said housing wall to form a first seal, and a downwardly extending resilient skirt that sealingly engages against a generally vertical surface of said housing wall to form a second seal.

13. The dispenser as in claim 12, wherein said resilient skirt engages against a circumferential side of said opening in said housing wall.

14. The dispenser as in claim 1, wherein said mounting mechanism comprises a recess formed integrally in a back side of said housing, said recess further comprising side walls having engaging structures defined thereon for engagement with complimentary structure provided on the wall mounting structure.

15. The dispenser as in claim 14, wherein said recess has dimensions so that the complimentary wall mounting structure fits entirely within said recess such that upon mounting said dispenser on the wall surface, said back side of said dispenser is flush against the wall surface.

16. The dispenser as in claim 15, wherein at least one dimension of said recess is less than the complimentary dimension for the corresponding mating component of the wall mounting structure such that upon mounting said housing onto the wall mounting structure, said recess is caused to flex to accommodate the oversized component of the wall mounting structure.

17. The dispenser as in claim 15, wherein said engaging structure comprises at least one angled surface disposed on at least one of said side walls that engages against a complimentary angled surface of the wall mounting structure.

18. The dispenser as in claim 15, wherein said engaging structure comprises at least one angled surface disposed on each of opposite vertical side walls of said recess that engage against complimentary angled surfaces of the wall mounting structure.

19. The dispenser as in claim 18, wherein said engaging structure comprises at least two spaced apart angled surfaces on each of said opposite vertical side walls of said recess.

20. The dispenser as in claim 15, further comprising a securing device configured between said back side of said housing and the wall mounting structure to prevent sliding movement of said housing relative to the wall mounting structure upon engagement of said angled surfaces with the wall mounting structure.

21. The dispenser as in claim 20, wherein said securing device comprises a protrusion engageable in a complimentary divot.

22. The dispenser as in claim 21, wherein said protrusion is provided in provided in said housing recess, and said divot is defined in the wall mounting structure.

23. The dispenser as in claim 21, wherein said protrusion is provided on the wall mounting structure, and said divot is provided in said housing recess.

24. The dispenser as in claim 1, wherein said housing comprises a front component formed separately from and subsequently attached to a back component.

25. The dispenser as in claim 24, wherein said back component is more rigid than said front component.

26. The dispenser as in claim 24, wherein said back component is substantially translucent so that an operator can view the amount of liquid within said reservoir.

27. The dispenser as in claim 1, wherein said pump mechanism comprises a cylinder having a delivery channel defined therethrough, said cylinder being slidable within a substantially horizontally disposed chamber defined within said reservoir on a bottom surface of said housing.

28. The dispenser as in claim 27, wherein said chamber is formed integral with said housing.