Vacuum relief device

• US 6,957,751 B2
• Filed: 04/26/2002
• Issued: 10/25/2005
• Est. Priority Date: 04/16/2002
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Hygiene-Technik Inc.
• Original Assignee: Hygiene-Technik Inc.
• Inventors: Ophardt, Heiner
• Primary Examiner(s): KEASEL, ERIC S
• Application Number:
  US10/132,321
• Publication Number:
  US 20030201286A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,278 Days
• Field of Search: 222/188, 222/457, 222/587
• US Class Current: 222/188
• CPC Class Codes: A47K 5/1202 dispensing dosed volume A47K5/1201 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: A47K 5/1211 using pressure on soap, e.g. with piston A47K5/1201 takes precedence; by squeezing A47K5/122
• CPC Class Codes: A47K 5/122 using squeeze bottles or the like A47K5/1201 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: B05B 11/0044 compensating underpressure by ingress of atmospheric air into the container, i.e. with venting means venting means for deformable containers B05B11/047
• CPC Class Codes: B05B 11/0059 allowing operation in any orientation, e.g. for discharge in inverted position

Abstract

Liquid soap dispensers including a vacuum relief valve which comprises an enclosed chamber having an air inlet open to the atmosphere and a liquid inlet in communication with liquid in the reservoir and in which the liquid inlet opens to the chamber at a height below a height at which the air inlet opens to the chamber. The vacuum relief value permits relief of vacuum from the reservoir without moving parts or values.

Claims

1. In combination, an enclosed, liquid containing reservoir and a vacuum relief device

the reservoir having a reservoir outlet from which liquid is to be dispensed and within which reservoir a vacuum below atmospheric pressure is developed on dispensing liquid from the reservoir outlet,

the vacuum relief device is adapted to permit atmospheric air to enter the reservoir to reduce any vacuum developed in the reservoir,

the vacuum relief device comprising an enclosed chamber having an air inlet and a liquid inlet,

the liquid inlet open to the chamber at a height, which is below a height at which the air inlet is open to the chamber,

the air inlet in communication with air at atmospheric pressure such that the chamber is at atmospheric pressure,

the liquid inlet connected by via a liquid passageway with liquid in the reservoir,

the liquid inlet at a height below a height of liquid in the reservoir such that when pressure in the reservoir is atmospheric pressure, due to gravity the liquid from the reservoir fills the liquid passageway and, via the liquid passageway, fills the chamber to a height above the height of the liquid inlet and below the height of the air inlet, and we on dispensing liquid from the reservoir outlet increasing vacuum below atmospheric in the, reservoir, the height of liquid in the chamber decreases until the height of liquid is below the height of the liquid inlet and the liquid inlet is open to air in the chamber such that air in the chamber flows under gravity upward through the liquid passageway to the reservoir to decrease vacuum in the reservoir,

a valve movable to open and close the liquid passageway.

2. A combination as claimed in claim 1 wherein the reservoir is a rigid non-collapsible container.

7. A combination as claimed in claim 1 including an air passageway from the air opening open to the atmosphere, wherein with increased pressure above atmospheric pressure in the reservoir the height of liquid in the chamber increases until the height of liquid is above the height of the air inlet and the air inlet is open to liquid in the chamber such that liquid in the chamber flows through the air passageway to exit from the air opening,

the reservoir being a resiliently deformable container with an inherent shape having an inherent internal volume,

the container being resilient such that after being deformed by forces forcing the container to assume shapes different than its inherent shape and having volumes less than the inherent volume, on release from such forces the resiliency of the container biases the container toward reassuming its inherent shape and creating a vacuum in the container,

when the container is deformed to the shapes different than the inherent shape creating the pressure in the container increasing above atmospheric to cause liquid to flow out of the container.

8. A combination as claimed in claim 1 wherein the chamber is defined within a vessel having side walls, a top wall and a bottom wall,

the air passageway is within an air tube extending from an opening in the sidewalls or bottom wall upwardly within the chamber towards the top wall to an upper end of the air tube which comprises the air inlet,

the liquid passageway is within a liquid tube extending from an opening in the top wall downwardly within the chamber towards the bottom wall to a lower end of the liquid tube which comprises the liquid inlet.

9. A combination as claimed in claim 8 wherein

a first element comprises the bottom wall and the holding tube,

a second element comprises the top wall and liquid tube,

the first element and second element coupled together to form the vessel,

the front element and second element are movable relative each other between a closed position in which the first element engages the second element to lose the liquid passageway preventing fluid flow there through and an open position in which the first element and the second element do not close the liquid passageway.

10. A combination as claimed in claim 9 wherein in the closed position the first element engages the second element to close the air passageway preventing fluid flow there through and in the open position the first element and the second element do not close the air passageway.

11. A combination as claimed in claim 9 wherein the second element comprise an inner portion of the side wall and the first element comprise an outer portion of the side wall, one of the inner and outer portions of the side wall received within the other portion in fluid sealed relation for relative movement inwardly and outwardly between the open position and the closed position.

12. A combination as claimed in claim 1 including a vessel having side walls, a top wall and a bottom wall,

a holding tube extending from the bottom wall upwardly within the vessel towards the top wall to an upper end of the holding tube which comprises the air inlet,

the holding tube defining the chamber therein,

an air passage between the holding tube and the side walls extending from the bottom wall to the top wall,

an opening open to atmosphere at a height below the air inlet through the bottom wall or the side wall into the air passage between the holding tube and the side walls,

the liquid passageway defined within a liquid tube extending from an opening in the top wall downwardly within the chamber towards the bottom wall into the holding tube to a lower end of the liquid tube which comprises the liquid inlet with a transfer passage between the holding tube and liquid tube for fluid passage between the air inlet and the liquid inlet.

13. A combination as claimed in claim 12 wherein the liquid tube is coaxially located within the holding tube with the transfer passage comprising an annular passage radially there between.

14. A combination as claimed in claim 13 wherein the holding tube is coaxially located within the side walls with the air passage comprising an annular passage radially there between.

15. A combination as claimed in claim 14 wherein

a base element comprises the bottom wall and the holding tube,

a cap element comprises the top wall and liquid tube,

the cap element and base element coupled together to form the vessel.

16. A combination as claimed in claim 15 wherein the cap element and base element are movable relative each other between a closed position in which the base element engages the cap element to close the liquid tube preventing liquid flow there through and an open position in which the base element does not close the liquid tube.

17. A combination as claimed in claim 16 wherein in the closed position the base element engages the cap element to close the air passageway preventing fluid flow there through and in the open position the base element does not close the air passageway.

18. A combination as claimed in claim 16 wherein each of the cap element comprise an inner portion of the side wall and the base element comprise an outer portion of the side wall, one of the inner and outer portions of the side wall received within the other portion in fluid sealed relation for relative movement inwardly and outwardly between the open position and the closed position.

19. A combination as claimed in claim 15 wherein the cap element and base element are each an integral element formed by injection moulding.

20. A combination as claimed in claim 12 including a dispensing outlet from the holding tube at a height below the height of the liquid inlet.

21. A combination as claimed in claim 20 including a pump connected to the dispensing outlet and operable to draw liquid from the reservoir via the liquid tube and holding tube.

3. In combination, an enclosed, liquid containing reservoir and a vacuum relief device

the reservoir having a reservoir outlet from which liquid is to be dispensed and within which reservoir a vacuum below atmospheric pressure is developed on dispensing liquid from the reservoir outlet,

the vacuum relief device is adapted to permit atmospheric air to enter the reservoir to reduce any vacuum developed in the reservoir,

the vacuum relief device comprising an enclosed chamber having an air inlet and a liquid inlet,

the liquid inlet open to the chamber at a height, which is below a height at which the air inlet is open to the chamber,

the air inlet in communication with air at atmospheric pressure such that the chamber is at atmospheric pressure,

the liquid inlet connected by via a liquid passageway with liquid in the reservoir,

the liquid inlet at a height below a height of liquid in the reservoir such that when pressure in the reservoir is atmospheric pressure, due to gravity the liquid from the reservoir fills the liquid passageway and, via the liquid passageway, fills the chamber to a height above the height of the liquid inlet and below the height of the air inlet, and wherein on dispensing liquid from the reservoir outlet increasing vacuum below atmospheric in the reservoir, the height of liquid in the chamber decreases until the height of liquid is below the height of the liquid inlet and the liquid inlet is open to air in the chamber such that air in the chamber flows under gravity upward through the liquid passageway to the reservoir to decrease vacuum in the reservoir,

an air passageway from the air inlet to an air opening to the, atmosphere, wherein on increasing pressure above atmospheric pressure in the reservoir the height of liquid in the chamber increases until the height of liquid is above the height of the air inlet and the air inlet is open to liquid in the chamber such that liquid in the chamber flows through the air passageway to exit from the air opening,

a valve movable to open and close at least one of the liquid passageway and the air passageway.

4. A combination as claimed in claimed in claim 3 wherein valve is movable to open and close the air passageway.

5. A combination as claimed in claim 3 wherein the reservoir is a rigid non-collapsible container.

6. A combination as claimed in claim 3 wherein the reservoir is a resiliently deformable container, which has an inherent bias to re-assume an inherent shape having an inherent internal volume after being deformed to shapes different than the inherent shape and having volumes less than the inherent volume.