Foam dispenser

• US 8,814,005 B2
• Filed: 04/27/2012
• Issued: 08/26/2014
• Est. Priority Date: 04/27/2012
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: DEB IP Limited (SC Johnson & Son Incorporated)
• Original Assignee: Pibed Limited
• Inventors: Banks, Stewart, Lang, Christopher James, Limbert, Dean Philip, Creaghan, David Michael Ross
• Primary Examiner(s): Durand, Paul R
• Assistant Examiner(s): Shaw, Benjamin R
• Application Number:
  US13/458,318
• Publication Number:
  US 20130284763A1
• Time in Patent Office: 851 Days
• Field of Search: 222/190, 222/207, 222/211, 222/209, 222/145.5, 222/135, 222/137, 137/896, 239/311, 239/348.5, 239/368, 239/369
• US Class Current: 222/190
• CPC Class Codes: B01F 23/2323 by circulating the flow in guiding constructions or conduits
• CPC Class Codes: B01F 23/235 for making foam
• CPC Class Codes: B01F 23/291 for obtaining foams or aerosols
• CPC Class Codes: B01F 25/31422 with a plurality of perforations in the axial direction only
• CPC Class Codes: B05B 11/007 being opened by deformation of a sealing element made of resiliently deformable material, e.g. flaps, skirts, duck-bill valves
• CPC Class Codes: B05B 11/1015 actuated without substantial movement of the nozzle in the direction of the pressure stroke B05B11/1011 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: B05B 11/1028 Pumps having a pumping chamber with a deformable wall B05B11/1087 take precedence
• CPC Class Codes: B05B 11/1052 Actuation means locking means therefor B05B11/1059; the dispensing stroke being affected by the stored energy of a spring B05B11/109
• CPC Class Codes: B05B 11/1069 the valve being made of a resiliently deformable material or being urged in a closed position by a spring
• CPC Class Codes: B05B 11/1077 characterised by a particular shape or material B05B11/1076 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: B05B 11/1087 Combination of liquid and air pumps
• CPC Class Codes: B05B 7/0025 with a compressed gas supply
• CPC Class Codes: B05B 7/005 wherein ambient air is aspirated by a liquid flow
• CPC Class Codes: B05B 7/0416 with arrangements for mixing one gas and one liquid

Abstract

A foam assembly connectable to a liquid container includes a main pump body, a resiliently deformable piston dome, an air chamber, a liquid chamber, a mixing zone and a porous member. The main pump body has an exit nozzle with the porous member therein. The air chamber and the liquid chamber are each defined by the piston dome and the main pump body. The liquid chamber has a liquid inlet valve and a liquid outlet valve. The mixing zone is in flow communication with the air chamber and the liquid chamber. The volume of the air chamber and the liquid chamber are each dependent on the position of piston dome and during an activation stroke the piston moves from the at rest position to the depressed position and responsively the volume of the air chamber and the volume of the liquid chamber are reduced.

Claims

1. A mixing tube for use in a foam assembly wherein the foam assembly has an air chamber, a liquid chamber, a means for pressurizing the air chamber and the liquid chamber, and a porous member, the mixing tube comprising:

an elongate mixing channel having an upstream end and a downstream end, the elongate mixing channel having a cross sectional area substantially the same from the upstream end to the downstream end;

an exit zone at the downstream end of the elongate mixing channel, the exit zone is a chamfer expanding to a cross sectional area that is larger than the cross sectional area of the elongate mixing channel and continuously increases to a downstream end of the exit zone, and the downstream end of the exit zone being configured to be upstream of the porous member;

wherein the elongate mixing channel has a length greater than the exit zone; and

wherein the mixing tube is configured such that when positioned in the foam assembly, the upstream end of the elongate mixing channel is in flow communication with the liquid chamber, the elongate mixing channel is in flow communication with the air chamber and air from the air chamber is injected into the mixing channel spaced upstream of the downstream end thereof such that liquid combined with air passes through the substantially the same cross sectional area of the elongate mixing channel and then into the expanding cross sectional area of the exit zone.

2. The mixing tube of claim 1 further including at least one air port in the elongate mixing channel and each air port is in flow communication with the air chamber.

3. The mixing tube of claim 2 where the at least one air port is a plurality of air ports spaced around the elongate mixing channel.

4. A foam assembly connectable to a liquid container comprising:

a pump having an air chamber and a liquid chamber, the pump having an activation stroke wherein the pump moves from an at rest position to a compressed position and a return stroke wherein the pump moves from the compressed position to an at rest position, the volume of the air chamber and liquid chamber are each substantially smaller in the compressed position;

a mixing zone in flow communication with the air chamber and in flow communication with the liquid chamber, the mixing zone having an elongate mixing channel having a cross sectional area substantially the same from an upstream end to a downstream end, and an exit zone downstream of the elongate mixing channel, the exit zone is a chamfer expanding to a cross sectional area that continuously increases to a downstream end of the exit zone, the elongate mixing channel having a length greater than the exit zone, wherein air from the air chamber is injected into the mixing channel spaced upstream of the downstream end thereof such that liquid combined with air passes through substantially the same cross sectional area of the elongate mixing channel and then into the expanding cross sectional area of the exit zone; and

a porous member downstream of the mixing zone.

5. The foam assembly of claim 4 further including at least one air port in the elongate mixing channel and each air port is in flow communication with the air chamber.

6. The foam assembly of claim 5 wherein the at least one air port is a plurality of air ports spaced around the elongate mixing channel.

7. The foam assembly of claim 4 wherein the volume of the liquid chamber to the air chamber is between 1:

2 and 1;

12.

8. The foam assembly of claim 4 wherein the volume of the liquid chamber to the air chamber is between 1:

8 and 1;

9.