Adapter for a manually operated dispensing device of containers of liquid

• US 6,974,055 B2
• Filed: 05/31/2001
• Issued: 12/13/2005
• Est. Priority Date: 06/05/2000
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Aptar Dortmund GmbH (AptarGroup Incorporated)
• Original Assignee: Seaquist Perfect Dispensing GmbH
• Inventors: Moore, David, Schmitz, Detlef, Walters, Peter J., Neuhaus, Reinhard, Jasper, Bernhard, Jordan, Ralf
• Primary Examiner(s): Kaufman, Joseph A
• Application Number:
  US10/297,377
• Publication Number:
  US 20030160071A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,657 Days
• Field of Search: 222/321.4, 222/321.7, 222/321.9, 222/380, 222/383.1, 222/494
• US Class Current: 222/321.4
• CPC Class Codes: B05B 11/0059 allowing operation in any orientation, e.g. for discharge in inverted position
• CPC Class Codes: B05B 11/1018 and the controlling element cooperating with means for opening or closing the inlet valve B05B11/1019 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: B65D 83/36 allowing operation in any orientation , e.g. discharge in inverted position

Abstract

The invention relates to an adapter (2) for a manually operated dispensing device (120) for a fluid that is/can be pressurized in a container. The dispensing device includes a housing (148) having a passage channel (30). A tubular adapter housing (34) connects the uptake tube (32) and the channel (30) of the housing (148) of the dispensing device (120). The adapter housing (34) has a connecting sleeve (42) for connection to the connecting nipple of the housing (148) and an uptake tube sleeve (44) for connection to the uptake tube (32). There are several inlets (46) for the fluid in the upside down position of the dispensing device. The adapter housing (34) defines at least one section of the inlets. An inlet valve (48) is defined within the adapter housing (34) for releasing the inlets substantially simultaneously when a pressure acts on the fluid in the container in the substantially upside down position of the container. A shut-off valve (50) is positioned inside a large diameter valve chamber (52) of the adapter housing (34), in such a way that the valve (50) can be freely displaced axially between two end positions.

Claims

1. An adapter (20) for a hand-operated dispensing device (120) for a fluid in a container wherein fluid can be placed under pressure in a container in the substantially upright position thereof and in the substantially reversed or upside-down position thereof, and wherein the dispensing device (120) includes

a base with a lower end, a connecting nipple (130) that is located at said base lower end and that has an interior wall (36c), an ascending pipe (32) extending into the fluid in the container, and

an inlet suction channel (348) which extends through the base and connecting nipple (130) and is in communication with the ascending pipe (32) to accommodate the passage of the fluid in the substantially upright position of the container, and a housing (148) that defines a housing passage channel (30) in communication with said inlet suction channel (348), said adapter (20) comprising:

a) a tubular adapter housing (34) and a linking channel (36) which is defined in said tubular adapter housing (34) between the ascending pipe (32) and the housing passage channel (30) of the housing (148) of the dispensing device (120), the tubular adapter housing (34) further comprising a connecting pipe (42) for connecting the tubular adapter housing (34) to the connecting nipple (130) and further comprising an ascending pipe connector (44) for connecting the tubular adapter housing (34) to the ascending pipe (32), said tubular adapter housing (34) further including a valve chamber (52);

b) a plurality of inlets (46) for the fluid in the substantially upside-down or reversed position of the container and dispensing device (120), the tubular adapter housing (34) forming at least part of the inlets (46);

c) an inlet valve (48, 48a, 48c, 48d) within the tubular adapter housing (34) for the approximately simultaneous closure of the inlets (46) in the substantially upright position of the container, but for the approximately simultaneous opening of the inlets (46) in the event of a pressure acting on the fluid in the container in the substantially upside-down or reversed position of the container;

d) a spherical non-return valve (50), disposed within the valve chamber (52) of the tubular adapter housing (34) so as to be freely movable axially between two end positions which are an upper end position defined by a non-return valve seat (54) extending transversely through the tubular adapter housing (34) and a lower end position defined by a supporting device (56) in the upright position of the container, said supporting device (56) defining at least one throttle port (58), said non-return valve (50) being adapted to engage said supporting device (56) to adopt a throttle position for the fluid so as to leave said at least one throttle ports (58) open; and

wherein

e) said valve chamber (52) has a diameter which is greater in size than the diameter of the non-return valve (50) to define a bypass flow channel (60) for the fluid in the upright position of the container;

f) the inlet valve (48) consists of a valve sleeve (62) of slight wall thickness of elastic material and a sleeve base (64, 74c, 74d), which is inserted into the tubular adapter housing (34) to be non-displaceable axially and is supported within the tubular adapter housing (34) to extend a distance below the inlets (46), the valve sleeve (62) extending into the connecting nipple (130c) of the dispensing housing (148c) and having an upper free end (35c) with an exterior surface sealingly engaging the interior wall (36c) of the connecting nipple (130c) in the substantially upright position of the container in a manner such that, in the event of a reduced pressure within the adapter housing (34), the wall of the valve sleeve (62) is caused to bulge inward in the opening direction by the inflowing fluid under the action of the pressure difference;

g) at least a portion of the tubular adapter housing (34a) has a smooth, cylindrical interior wall, and the tubular adapter housing (34a) has an annular shoulder (33c) located above the non-return valve (50c) so that the non-return valve (50c) is below the annular shoulder (33c) and so that the valve chamber (52c) for the non-return valve (50c) extends below said annular shoulder (33c);

h) the sleeve base (64) has an annular sealing flange (74a, 74c, 74d) which lies sealingly on the smooth, cylindrical interior wall of the tubular adapter housing (34a) at a distance below the lower end of the inlets (46a) and below the lower end of the connecting nipple (130a) and which is supported on the annular shoulder (33c) of the tubular adapter housing (34c, 34d);

I) the sleeve base (64d) of the valve sleeve (48c, 48d) has a seat (54d, 54e) with an angle of about 45°

for the spherical return valve (50c, 50d, 50e);

j) the inlets (46a, 46b, 46c, 46d, 46e) are inlet slits (46a, 46b, 46c, 46d, 46e) which extend between the connecting nipple (130a, 130b, 130c, 130d, 130e) of the housing (148, 148c, 148d) of the dispensing device (120, 120c, 120d, 120e) and the connecting pipe (42a, 42b, 42c, 42d, 42e) of the tubular adapter housing (34a, 34b, 34c, 34d, 34e) beyond the lower end of the connection nipple (130a) into the interior of the tubular adapter housing (34a);

k) the tubular adapter housing (34c) has an upper tubular end defining a cylindrical interior wall;

l) the inlet slits (46c) are arranged in the cylindrical interior wall of the upper tubular end of the tubular adapter housing (34c) and are spaced radially outwardly from the valve sleeve (62c); and

m) stops (38c, 75d) are located between the base (64, 64d) of the inlet valve (48a, 48c, 48d) and the connecting nipple (130c, 130d) so as to extend radially relative to the interior wall of the tubular adapter housing (34c) to define the lower end of the inlet slits (46c, 46d, 46e) at a distance below the lower end of the connecting nipple (130c) and define inlet passage channels (37c) communicating with the inlet slits (46c).

2. The adapter as claimed in claim 1, wherein the tubular adapter housing (34c) has a longitudinal section extending below said annular shoulder (33c, 37d) and forming a smooth cylindrical interior wall of the valve chamber (52c, 52d) for the non-return valve (50c, 50d).

3. The adapter as claimed in claim 1, wherein said tubular adapter housing (34c) has longitudinal ribs (49c) which separate the inlet slits (46c) from one another in the circumferential direction around the interior wall of the upper, tubular end of the tubular adapter housing (34c);

and

wherein said ribs (49c) extend to the same axial height as the stops or ribs (38c, 75d) at the lower end of the connecting nipple (130c) of the housing (148c) of the dispensing device (120c).

4. The adapter as claimed in claim 1, wherein the valve chamber (52c) has an annular base lying on a plane;

wherein the ascending pipe (32c) has a bore and has an upper end that extends from both sides of a plane in which the bore of the ascending pipe (32c) extends; and

wherein the upper end of the ascending pine (32c) is cut off at an angle of 45°

so that two mutually opposite tips (76c) of the ascending pipe end project above the plane of the annular base of the valve chamber (52c) to support the non-return valve (50c).

5. The adapter as claimed in claim 4, wherein said stops (38c, 75d) are molded as a unitary portion of any of the following:

(1) said inlet valve base (64, 64d), (2) said tubular housing (34c), and (3) said connecting nipple (130c).

6. The adapter as claimed in claim 1, wherein the tubular adapter housing (34) has a base and has an aperture (80e) in the base;

and

wherein a baffle plate (82e) is disposed at a distance above the aperture (80e) in the base of the tubular adapter housing in order to guide the flow of fluid into the bypass flow channel (60e) for the non-return valve (50e) in the valve chamber (52e) when the container and dispensing device (120e) are in the upright position.

7. The adapter as claimed in claim 6, wherein the valve chamber (52e) of the tubular adapter housing (34) is defined by an interior wall;

and

wherein the baffle plate (82e) is connected via at least one bearing rib (79e) to the interior wall of the valve chamber (52e) of the tubular adapter housing so as to define a bearing structure for the non-return valve (50e) when the container and dispensing device (120e) are in the upright position.

8. The adapter as claimed in claim 1, wherein said stops have the form of ribs (75d) in the top of the sealing flange (74d) of the base (64d) of the inlet valve (48d).