Dispensing apparatus

• US 6,820,777 B2
• Filed: 10/31/2002
• Issued: 11/23/2004
• Est. Priority Date: 12/30/1999
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Ounce Labs, Inc. (International Business Machines Corporation), Rocep Lusol Holdings Limited
• Original Assignee: Rocep Lusol Holdings Limited
• Inventors: Frutin, Bernard Derek
• Primary Examiner(s): Scherbel, David A.
• Assistant Examiner(s): Nicolas, Frederick C.
• Application Number:
  US10/284,684
• Publication Number:
  US 20030052137A1
• Time in Patent Office: 754 Days
• Field of Search: 222/402.15, 222/402.23, 222/402.21, 222/402.22, 222/402.14, 222/402.16, 222/402.25, 222/402.11, 222/153.12, 222/153.13, 222/153.14, 222/380, 222/389, 222/402.1, 222/402.2
• US Class Current: 222/402.15
• CPC Class Codes: B65D 2215/04 requiring the combination of different actions in succession
• CPC Class Codes: B65D 83/201 Lever-operated actuators B65D83/206 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: B65D 83/22 with a mechanical means to disable actuation B65D50/00 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: B65D 83/303 using extension tubes located in or at the outlet duct of the nozzle assembly
• CPC Class Codes: B65D 83/306 Actuators formed as a rigid elongate spout
• CPC Class Codes: B65D 83/46 Tilt valves B65D83/50 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: B65D 83/757 Tamper-indicating means actuators with tamper-indicating means B65D83/224; tamper indicating means located in front of outlets B65D83/7538

Abstract

A dispensing apparatus (10) for dispensing a product from a container (12) includes: a product chamber within the container (12); a valve (14) adjacent to the product chamber; a hinge assembly secured to the opening of the container and to which is connected a nozzle assembly (20); and a lever (18) attached by a hinge assembly. The nozzle assembly (20) is rotatable between open and closed positions and includes an actuator portion provided with a cam surface (96, 98) which co-operates with a bearing portion (100) on the lever (18) such that, when the nozzle assembly (20) is in the open position, operation of the lever (18) causes movement of the actuator portion to open the valve (14) and permit flow of the product out of the container (12).

Claims

1. A dispensing apparatus for dispensing a product from a container, said apparatus comprising:

a container

a product chamber within the container;

a valve adjacent to the product chamber;

a hinge assembly attached to the container;

a lever hingedly attached to the hinge assembly and comprising a bearing portion; and

a nozzle assembly sealingly engageable with the hinge assembly, the nozzle assembly being rotatable between open and closed positions of said nozzle assembly and including an actuator portion provided with a cam surface which cooperates with the lever bearing portion such that in the open position of said nozzle assembly operation of the lever causes movement of the actuator portion to open the valve and permit flow of the product out of the apparatus.

2. A dispensing apparatus according to claim 1 further comprising means for urging said product from said product chamber.

3. A dispensing apparatus according to claim 1 wherein said valve is a tilt valve.

4. A dispensing apparatus according to claim 1 wherein said valve comprises a mounting cup adapted to secure said valve to said container.

5. A dispensing apparatus according to claim 4 wherein said container comprises a rolled flange portion and wherein said mounting cup comprises a corresponding flange portion adapted to engage with the rolled flange portion of the container.

6. A dispensing apparatus according to claim 1 wherein said actuator portion comprises a ring member and wherein said cam surface of said actuator portion comprises at least one depression and at least one raised surface.

7. A dispensing apparatus according to claim 6 wherein said cam surface comprises two depressions arranged at opposite sides of said ring member and two raised surfaces arranged between the depressions at opposite sides of said ring member.

8. A dispensing apparatus according to claim 6 wherein said lever bearing portion is adapted to bear upon one of said depressions when said nozzle assembly is in the closed position and said lever bearing portion is adapted to bear upon one of said raised surfaces when the nozzle assembly is in the open position.

9. A dispensing apparatus according to any preceding claim 1 wherein said lever further comprises two lever bearing portions arranged at opposite sides of said valve.

10. A dispensing apparatus according to claim 1 wherein said nozzle assembly is provided with means to limit the rotational travel of the nozzle assembly between the closed position and the open position.

11. A dispensing apparatus according to claim 1 wherein said nozzle assembly is provided with fin members adapted to hold the lever bearing portion against the cam surface.

12. A dispensing apparatus according to claim 11 wherein one of said fin members is provided at each depression and at each raised surface of the cam surface, and wherein each one of said one or more fin member is spaced from the cam surface to allow the insertion of the lever bearing portion between said each one of said one or more fin members and the cam surface.

13. A dispensing apparatus according to claim 1 wherein said nozzle assembly comprises at least one dog tooth and wherein the hinge assembly comprises at least one slot, adapted such that said dog tooth can enter said slot only when the nozzle assembly is in the open position.

14. A dispensing apparatus according to claim 13 wherein said nozzle assembly is coupled to the valve stem for longitudinal movement, such that movement of the nozzle assembly towards the container causes the dog tooth to enter the slot and the valve stem to move, thereby opening the valve to release the product.

15. A dispensing apparatus according to claim 1 wherein said container is made from aluminium.