High volume docking seal for bulk liquid dispensing cartridge

• US 7,909,197 B2
• Filed: 05/07/2007
• Issued: 03/22/2011
• Est. Priority Date: 05/07/2007
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Whirlpool Corporation
• Original Assignee: Whirlpool Corporation
• Inventors: Mikkelsen, Douglas Lynn
• Primary Examiner(s): Stashick; Anthony
• Assistant Examiner(s): Hicks; Robert J
• Application Number:
  US11/744,931
• Publication Number:
  US 20080277370A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,415 Days
• Field of Search: 220/288, 220/200, 220/DIG.19, 220/FOR.111, 220/FOR.110, 220/FOR.109, 220/FOR.105, 220/FOR.102, 220/295, 220/806, 220/804, 220/803, 220/802, 220/801, 220/796, 215/349, 215/310, 215/200, 215/211, 215/201, 215/344, 215/363, 215/355, 215/342, 215/341, 215/316, 215/217, 215/45, 215/44, 215/43, D94/37, D94/36, D94/35, 277/648, 277/651, 277/649, 277/628
• US Class Current: 220/295
• CPC Class Codes: D06F 39/022 in a liquid state D06F39/024 takes precedence

Abstract

A seal member for a dispensing cartridge includes a flat circular seal disk, a frustoconical wall extending outwardly away from the seal disk, and a ring at an open end of the frustoconical wall. The seal member is assembled with a cap having an end wall and a cylindrical skirt wall. The skirt wall has an internal diameter and the ring has a slightly smaller outer diameter. The ring abuts the end wall. A central opening extends through the end wall with a diameter no larger than a ring inner diameter. The dispensing cartridge has a cylindrical mouth wall with inner and outer diameters. The skirt wall has an internal diameter sized to receive the mouth wall outer diameter and the diameter of the seal disk is larger than the mouth wall inner diameter. The ring outer diameter is at least equal to the mouth wall outer diameter.

Claims

1. A seal member for a bulk liquid dispensing cartridge, comprising:

a flat circular seal disk,

a frustoconical wall extending away and outwardly from an intermediate portion of the seal disk with the seal disk forming a closed end of the frustoconical wall and such that an annular portion of the seal disk extends radially outwardly beyond a junction of the seal disk and the frustoconical wall, and

a ring positioned at an open end of the frustoconical wall.

2. The seal member according to claim 1, wherein the seal disk has a central area with a reduced thickness as compared to a remainder of the seal disk.

3. The seal member according to claim 1, wherein the ring has a larger outer diameter than a diameter of the seal disk.

4. The seal member according to claim 1, wherein the seal is integrally formed as one piece of a pliable material having a plastic memory.

5. The seal member according to claim 1, wherein the ring extends radially outwardly of the free end of the frustoconical wall.

6. A cap and seal member assembly for use with a bulk liquid dispensing cartridge, comprising:

a seal member having;

a flat circular seal disk,

a frustoconical wall extending away and outwardly from an intermediate portion of the seal disk with the seal disk forming a closed end of the frustoconical wall and such that an annular portion of the seal disk extends radially outwardly beyond a junction of the seal disk and the frustoconical wall,

a ring positioned at an open end of the frustoconical wall,

a cap having an end wall and a depending cylindrical skirt wall,

the cylindrical skirt wall having a first internal diameter adjacent to the end wall,

the ring having an outer diameter slightly less than the first internal diameter of the skirt wall, with the ring being positioned in an abutting relationship with an interior surface of the end wall of the cap, and

the cap having a central opening through the end wall with a diameter no larger than an inner diameter of the ring.

7. The cap and seal member assembly according to claim 6, wherein the central opening through the end wall of the cap is beveled.

8. The cap and seal member assembly according to claim 6, wherein the cap includes a helical thread on an interior surface of the skirt wall.

9. The cap and seal member assembly according to claim 6, wherein the seal disk has a central area with a reduced thickness as compared to a remainder of the seal disk.

10. The cap and seal member assembly according to claim 6, wherein the ring has a larger outer diameter than a diameter of the seal disk.

11. The cap and seal member assembly according to claim 6, wherein the seal is integrally formed as one piece of a pliable material having a plastic memory.

12. The cap and seal member assembly according to claim 6, wherein the ring extends radially outwardly of the free end of the frustoconical wall.

13. A cap and seal member assembly for use with a bulk liquid dispensing cartridge having a cylindrical mouth wall with an inner diameter and an outer diameter, comprising:

a cap having an end wall and a depending cylindrical skirt wall with an internal diameter sized to receive the outer diameter of the cartridge mouth wall,

a seal member having;

a flat circular seal disk with a diameter larger than the inner diameter of the cartridge mouth wall causing the disk to be deflected as the cap is moved onto the mouth wall,

a frustoconical wall extending away and outwardly from an intermediate portion of the seal disk with the seal disk forming a closed end of the frustoconical wall and such that an annular portion of the seal disk extends radially outwardly beyond a junction of the seal disk and the frustoconical wall, and

a ring positioned at an open end of the frustoconical wall,

the ring having an outer diameter less than the internal diameter of the skirt wall and at least equal to the outer diameter of the cartridge mouth wall, with the ring being positioned in an abutting relationship with an interior surface of the end wall of the cap, and

the cap having a central opening through the end wall with a diameter no larger than an inner diameter of the ring

wherein the deflection of the seal disk in combination with the frustoconical shape of the frustoconical wall results in a radially inwardly directed force on the seal disk.

14. The cap and seal member assembly according to claim 13, wherein the ring extends radially outwardly of a free end of the frustoconical wall.

15. The cap and seal member assembly according to claim 13, wherein the cap includes a helical thread to engage with a complementary helical thread on the cylindrical mouth wall of the cartridge.

16. The cap and seal member assembly according to claim 13, wherein the seal disk has a central area with a reduced thickness as compared to a remainder of the seal disk.

17. The cap and seal member assembly according to claim 13, wherein the ring has a larger outer diameter than a diameter of the seal disk.

18. The cap and seal member assembly according to claim 13, wherein the seal is integrally formed as one piece of a pliable material having a plastic memory.

19. The cap and seal member assembly according to claim 13, wherein the central opening through the end wall of the cap is beveled.

20. The cap and seal member assembly according to claim 13, wherein the cap includes a helical thread to engage with a complementary helical thread on the cylindrical mouth wall of the cartridge, the seal disk has a central area with a reduced thickness as compared to a remainder of the seal disk, the central opening through the end wall of the cap is beveled, and the seal is integrally formed as one piece of a pliable material having a plastic memory.