Discharge device for media

• US 8,056,765 B2
• Filed: 03/26/2008
• Issued: 11/15/2011
• Est. Priority Date: 03/26/2007
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Aptar Radolfzell GmbH (AptarGroup Incorporated)
• Original Assignee: Ing. Erich Pfeiffer GmbH (AptarGroup Incorporated)
• Inventors: Greiner-Perth, Juergen, Auerbach, Judith
• Primary Examiner(s): Shaver; Kevin P
• Assistant Examiner(s): Long; Donnell
• Application Number:
  US12/079,355
• Publication Number:
  US 20080237264A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,329 Days
• Field of Search: 222/162, 222/182, 222/183, 222/153.13, 222/384, 222/321.8, 222/321.2, 222/383.1, 2223217-3219, 222/309
• US Class Current: 222/162
• CPC Class Codes: B05B 11/0032 Manually actuated means located downstream the discharge nozzle for closing or covering it, e.g. shutters automatically removed during actuation of a spray pump B05B11/1053
• CPC Class Codes: B05B 11/0038 Inner container disposed in an outer shell or outer casing
• CPC Class Codes: B05B 11/1056 comprising rotatable or articulated levers B05B11/1053 takes precedence; lever actuated piston pumps B05B11/1009; lever actuated pumps with deformable chamber B05B11/1029
• CPC Class Codes: B05B 11/1059 Means for locking a pump or its actuation means in a fixed position B05B11/1091 takes precedence

Abstract

A discharge device for media includes an outer housing with a discharge opening, a discharge handle for manual actuation. A support is arranged in the outer housing. Movable along a main axis relative to the outer housing and connected to the discharge handle, it has a seat for a pump dispenser. A pump is actuated by compression of the pump dispenser. A first abutment on the housing interacts with the pump dispenser, actuating the pump.

The support has a functional portion which acts on the pump dispenser with a force oriented in the direction of the first abutment on the housing. An adjuster is provided between the handle and the functional portion of the support, by which the position of the functional portion relative to the first abutment on the housing can be adjusted for a defined setting of the discharge handle.

Claims

1. A discharge device for media, comprising:

an outer housing with a discharge opening;

a discharge handle for manual actuation of the discharge device;

a support arranged in the outer housing, the support being movable along a main axis relative to the outer housing and being operatively connected axially to the discharge handle, the support having a seat for a pump dispenser, a first abutment provided on the outer housing and at least one functional portion, the pump dispenser having a pump that can be actuated by compression of the pump dispenser along the main axis, the first abutment being intended for interaction with the pump dispenser for the purpose of actuating the pump; and

adjusting means provided between the discharge handle and the functional portion of the support, the adjusting means adjusting the position of the functional portion relative to the first abutment on the outer housing for a defined setting of the discharge handle,

wherein the functional portion, during a discharge procedure, acts on the pump dispenser with a force oriented in a direction of the first abutment on the outer housing, and the adjusting means can be adjusted axially in a stepped manner.

2. The discharge device according to claim 1, wherein the support has at least two support portions including

a first support portion that is forcibly guided by the discharge handle at least during an actuation of the discharge handle, and

a second support portion that includes the functional portion of the support,

the position of the first and the second support portions relative to each other being adjusted with the aid of the adjusting means.

3. The discharge device according to claim 2, wherein a second abutment is provided on the outer housing and is intended for interaction with the discharge handle or the first support portion.

4. The discharge device according to claim 2, wherein the adjusting means comprises locking means which are designed for locked connections in a plurality of different locking positions, said locking positions differing from one another in terms of an axial position of the functional portion relative to the discharge handle or the first support portion.

5. The discharge device according to claim 4, wherein the locking means comprises several subsidiary locking means whose respective locking positions differ at least partially from one another.

6. The discharge device according to claim 4, wherein the locking means comprises at least one locking ladder and locking lugs that lie opposite locking ladder and are designed to interact with the locking ladder.

7. The discharge device according to claim 1, wherein the functional portion is arranged such that the force is introduced through the functional portion onto that side of the pump dispenser directed away from the first abutment on the housing.

8. The discharge device according to claim 1, wherein the adjusting means can be adjusted axially in a stepped manner in step sizes smaller than 1 mm.

9. The discharge device according to claim 8, wherein the adjusting means can be adjusted axially in a stepped manner in step sizes smaller than 0.6 mm.

10. The discharge device according to claim 9, wherein the adjusting means can be adjusted axially in a stepped manner in step sizes smaller than 0.3 mm.

11. A discharge device for media, comprising:

an outer housing with a discharge opening;

a discharge handle for manual actuation of the discharge device;

a support arranged in the outer housing, the support being movable along a main axis relative to the outer housing and being operatively connected axially to the discharge handle, the support having a seat for a pump dispenser, a first abutment provided on the outer housing and at least one functional portion, the pump dispenser having a pump that can be actuated by compression of the pump dispenser along the main axis, the first abutment being intended for interaction with the pump dispenser for the purpose of actuating the pump; and

adjusting means provided between the discharge handle and the functional portion of the support, the adjusting means adjusting the position of the functional portion relative to the first abutment on the outer housing for a defined setting of the discharge handle,

wherein the functional portion, during a discharge procedure, acts on the pump dispenser with a force oriented in a direction of the first abutment on the outer housing, and the support, on a side directed toward the first abutment on the outer housing, has a funnel-shaped centering aid and/or a guide aid for connecting to a discharge channel on the outer housing.

12. A discharge device for media, comprising:

an outer housing with a discharge opening;

a discharge handle for manual actuation of the discharge device; and

a support arranged in the outer housing, the support being movable along a main axis relative to the outer housing and being operatively connected axially to the discharge handle, the support having a seat for a pump dispenser and having a first abutment provided on the outer housing, the pump dispenser having a pump that can be actuated by compression of the pump dispenser along the main axis, the first abutment being intended for interaction with the pump dispenser for the purpose of actuating the pump,

wherein the discharge device can be switched between an activated operating state in which an actuation of the discharge handle causes a translation of the support and a deactivated operating state in which an actuation of the discharge handle is blocked or the discharge handle is uncoupled from the support, and the operating state can be controlled by a rotation movement of the support about the main axis, an axial operative connection between the support and the discharge handle being present in at least a first angle portion and being interrupted in at least a second angle portion.

13. The discharge device according to claim 12, wherein in a third angle portion, there is an axial blocked connection between the support and the discharge handle, by which the discharge handle is held in a blocked position.

14. The discharge device according to claim 12, further comprising a protective cap which, in a functional state, prevents the transfer of the discharge device to the activated operating state.

15. The discharge device of claim 12, wherein the support has at least one functional portion which, during a discharge procedure, acts on the pump dispenser with a force oriented in the direction of the first abutment on the outer housing, and the discharge device comprises adjusting means between the discharge handle and the functional portion of the support, the adjusting means adjusting the position of the functional portion relative to the first abutment on the outer housing for a defined setting of the discharge handle.

16. A discharge device for media, comprising:

an outer housing with a discharge opening;

a discharge handle for manual actuation of the discharge device; and

a support arranged in the outer housing, the support being movable along a main axis relative to the outer housing and being operatively connected axially to the discharge handle, the support having a seat for a pump dispenser, a first abutment provided on the outer housing and an operative connection portion for interacting with the discharge handle, the pump dispenser having a pump that can be actuated by compression of the pump dispenser along the main axis, the first abutment being intended for interaction with the pump dispenser for the purpose of actuating the pump, the operative connection portion having at least one radially extending recess,

wherein the discharge device can be switched between an activated operating state in which an actuation of the discharge handle causes a translation of the support and a deactivated operating state in which the actuation of the discharge handle is blocked or the discharge handle is uncoupled from the support, and, in the activated operating state, at least one guide extension connected to the discharge handle protrudes into the radially extending recess.

17. The discharge device according to claim 16, wherein the operative connection portion has an at least partially cylindrical shape extending in a direction of the main axis, and the recess is designed as a control cam that extends on a circumferential surface of the operative connection portion.

18. The discharge device according to claim 17, wherein the control cam has,

in a first angle portion, a first control cam portion which extends on the circumferential surface of the operative connection portion in a plane orthogonal to the main axis and/or,

in a second angle portion, a second control cam portion which extends on the circumferential surface of the operative connection portion axially with respect to the main axis and circumferentially with respect to the circumferential surface of the operative connection portion and/or,

in a third angle portion, a third control cam portion which extends on the circumferential surface of the operative connection portion in the plane orthogonal to the main axis.

19. The discharge device of claim 16, wherein the support has at least one functional portion which, during a discharge procedure, acts on the pump dispenser with a force oriented in the direction of the first abutment on the outer housing, and the discharge device comprises adjusting means between the discharge handle and the functional portion of the support, the adjusting means adjusting the position of the functional portion relative to the first abutment on the outer housing for a defined setting of the discharge handle.

20. A discharge device for media, comprising:

an outer housing with a discharge opening;

a discharge handle for manual actuation of the discharge device; and

a support arranged in the outer housing, the support being movable along a main axis relative to the outer housing and being operatively connected axially to the discharge handle, the support having a seat for a pump dispenser and having a first abutment provided on the outer housing, the pump dispenser having a pump that can be actuated by compression of the pump dispenser along the main axis, the first abutment being intended for interaction with the pump dispenser for the purpose of actuating the pump,

wherein the discharge device can be switched between an activated operating state in which an actuation of the discharge handle causes a translation of the support and a deactivated operating state in which the actuation of the discharge handle is blocked or the discharge handle is uncoupled from the support, and the discharge device can be switched between the activated operating state and the deactivated operating state by means of an activation handle.

21. The discharge device according to claim 20, wherein the discharge handle, in the deactivated operating state, is arranged in a space-saving stowage position.

22. The discharge device according to claim 21, wherein the discharge handle, in the activated operating state, cannot be moved into the stowage position.

23. The discharge device according to claim 20, wherein the activation handle is designed to be rotatable, and is operatively connected with rotational coupling to the support.

24. The discharge device according to claim 23, wherein the activation handle is connected to the support by means of a slip clutch.

25. The discharge device according to claim 24, wherein the slip clutch has a toothing with teeth that are at least partially elastically deformable such that the teeth disengage when a defined resistance torque is overcome.

26. The discharge device according to claim 20, wherein the activation handle is designed as a portion of the outer housing as a rotatable base portion of the outer housing.

27. The discharge device of claim 20, wherein the support has at least one functional portion which, during a discharge procedure, acts on the pump dispenser with a force oriented in the direction of the first abutment on the outer housing, and the discharge device comprises adjusting means between the discharge handle and the functional portion of the support, the adjusting means adjusting the position of the functional portion relative to the first abutment on the outer housing for a defined setting of the discharge handle.