Media dispenser

• US 6,808,085 B2
• Filed: 09/06/2001
• Issued: 10/26/2004
• Est. Priority Date: 07/16/1999
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Aptar Radolfzell GmbH (AptarGroup Incorporated)
• Original Assignee: Ing. Erich Pfeiffer GmbH (AptarGroup Incorporated)
• Inventors: Eberhard, Thomas, Merk, Hans, Greiner-Perth, Juergen
• Primary Examiner(s): Shaver, Kevin
• Assistant Examiner(s): WILLATT, STEPHANIE L
• Application Number:
  US09/947,655
• Publication Number:
  US 20020066753A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,146 Days
• Field of Search: 222/129, 222/136, 222/135, 222/189.09, 222/182, 222/153.13, 222/153.1, 222/321.1, 222/321.7, 222/321.9, 206/222, 206/219, 206/221, 215/DIG.8
• US Class Current: 222/136
• CPC Class Codes: B05B 11/0078 Arrangements for separately storing several components arrangements for pumping several liquids or other fluent materials from several containers B05B11/1081
• CPC Class Codes: B05B 11/10 Pump arrangements for transferring the contents from the container to a pump chamber by a sucking effect and forcing the contents out through the dispensing nozzle

Abstract

A first reservoir body (13) includes two necks (19, 20). One neck (19) carries a thrust piston pump (11) including a medium outlet (37). The other neck (20) carries a closed second reservoir body (14) including a second medium. When the closure (9) is opened, the second medium is transferred into the first reservoir body (13) where it is mixed with or dissolved in the first medium. Thereafter, the mixed media can be discharged by the dosing pump (11) from the first reservoir body (13) in discrete doses in sequence. Thus, the media are stored separately and are not merged until being discharged.

Claims

1. A dispenser for discharging media comprising:

a base body,

a reservoir assembly retained on said base body and including a first reservoir body for storing a first medium and a second reservoir body for storing a second medium,

said first reservoir body being provided for containing mixed media,

a discharge unit including a pump for discharging the mixed media through a medium outlet,

said base body including a mounting fixture for fixing said discharge unit on said first reservoir body, said first reservoir body including a first opening and a second opening apart from said first opening,

said discharge unit closing said first opening,

said second reservoir body including a third opening through which the second medium is expelled into the first reservoir body to be mixed with the first medium,

a closure unit sealingly closing both said second opening and the third opening,

said closure unit including a first sealing surface and a second sealing surface spaced from said first sealing surface, said first sealing surface directly contacting said first reservoir body for sealingly closing the second opening and said second sealing surface directly and sealingly contacting said second reservoir body for sealingly closing said third opening,

the closure unit being flexible and deformable at least at said second sealing surface, wherein said third opening can be opened while said second opening remains sealingly closed, and

wherein said first reservoir body and said second reservoir body include reservoir necks and a reservoir belly wider than said reservoir necks, said reservoir necks including a first neck and a second neck spaced from said first neck, and said closure unit including an annular flange directly contacting said second neck.

2. The dispenser according to claim 1, said second reservoir body further including a reservoir jacket and a reservoir bottom connected to said reservoir jacket, said reservoir jacket defining the third opening which is closed by said closure unit, and means being included for opening said second reservoir body into the first reservoir body with said third opening being opened.

3. The dispenser according to claim 2, wherein said means for opening includes a handle for entirely pushing said second reservoir body into the first medium.

4. The dispenser according to claim 3, wherein said second reservoir body is fixed to said closure unit with a snap fit, said opening being openable by actuating said handle.

5. The dispenser according to claim 1, wherein said a portion of said closure unit engages inside said reservoir jacket.

6. The dispenser according to claim 1, wherein a portion of said closure unit engages inside said opening and means are included for radially constricting said closure unit.

7. The dispenser according to claim 1, wherein said pump includes a thrust piston pump including a pressure chamber and a spring powering a return stroke, said pump including a piston unit including a pump piston and an outlet valve for said pressure chamber.

8. The dispenser according to claim 1, wherein means are included for preventing ingress of germs into at least one of said first reservoir body and said second reservoir body.

9. A dispenser for discharging media comprising:

a base body,

a reservoir assembly retained on said base body and including a first reservoir body for storing a first medium and a second reservoir body for storing a second medium,

said first reservoir body being provided for containing mixed media,

a discharge unit including a pump for discharging the mixed media through a medium outlet,

said base body including a mounting fixture for fixing said discharge unit on said first reservoir body, said first reservoir body including a first opening and a second opening apart from said first opening,

said discharge unit closing said first opening,

said second reservoir body including a third opening through which the second medium is expelled into the first reservoir body to be mixed with the first medium,

a closure unit sealingly closing both said second opening and the third opening,

said closure unit including a first sealing surface and a second sealing surface spaced from said first sealing surface, said first sealing surface directly contacting said first reservoir body for sealingly closing the second opening and said second sealing surface directly and sealingly contacting said second reservoir body for sealingly closing said third opening,

the closure unit being flexible and deformable at least at said second sealing surface, wherein said third opening can be opened while said second opening remains sealingly closed, and

wherein the discharge unit has an operating pusher which is, in a rest position, inhibited from being operated by a protective cap, which is provided to be moved, before operating the discharge unit to a release position, in which the operating pusher is enabled to be operated, said cap having locking means to be locked in the release position, and having opening means for opening the second reservoir body and enabling merging of the media.

10. The dispenser according to claim 9, said second reservoir body being fixed to said closure unit with a snap fit.

11. The dispenser according to claim 9, wherein the cap, in the rest position, at least partly covers the operating pusher.

12. The dispenser according to claim 9, wherein the cap is held in the release position by a snap joint.

13. The dispenser according to claim 9, wherein the opening means comprise an opening pusher formed inside the cap and acting on the closure unit.

14. The dispenser according to claim 9, wherein the closure unit is a flexible circular bellow having an outer ring section cooperating with the first reservoir body to seal the second opening and an inner ring section cooperating with the second reservoir body to seal the third opening, the opening pusher being provided to act on the inner ring section to deform the closure unit to open the third opening and to displace the second reservoir body within the first reservoir body.

15. The dispenser according to claim 14, wherein the closure unit has at least one thin substantially sleeve-like section, between the outer and inner ring section.

16. The dispenser according to claim 9, wherein the discharge unit is situated beside and spaced from the second reservoir body and its closure unit, the operating pusher, the cap and the opening means being moveable in a same direction.

17. The dispenser according to claim 9, wherein the first reservoir body has, in cross-section, a FIG. 8 shape with a smaller compartment for the discharge unit and a larger compartment for the second reservoir body.