Dose dispensing pump for dispensing two or more materials
AssigneeUnilever Home & Personal Care USA, Division of Conopco, Inc.
InventorErik Peterson
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
A dosing pump for dispensing two or more liquids, gels, slurries and/or pastes, and adapted to be connected to two or more containers for said two or more as liquids, gels, slurries and/or pastes is described. The dosing pump may comprise an operating button, and two or more liquid, gel, slurry and/or paste dispensing assemblies. Each such assembly may be in mechanical contact with an actuator which in turn is in mechanical contact with said operating button, so that on movement of said operating button, liquid, gel slurry and/or paste is dispensed simultaneously or nearly simultaneously.
Claims20
A dosing pump for dispensing two or more liquids, gels, slurries and/or pastes and adapted to be connected to two or more containers for said two or more liquids, gels, slurries and/or pastes, which comprises an operating button, and two or more liquid, gel, slurry and/or paste dispensing assemblies, each liquid, gel, slurry and/or paste dispensing assembly being in mechanical contact with an actuator, wherein said actuator is in further mechanical contact with an operating button and is simultaneously or nearly simultaneously actuated by movement of said operating button, wherein each liquid, gel, slurry and/or paste dispensing assembly further comprises:
- a) a dispensing element;
- b) a cylindrical chamber in flow communication with the dispensing element;
- c) a piston or bellows sealingly and slidably mounted within said cylindrical chamber;
- having a stroke for motion between a rest position and a dispensing position at corresponding opposite rest and dispensing ends of the stroke;
- d) an inlet valve means in fluid connection with an outlet valve means,
- wherein said inlet valve means is in fluid connection with a container containing liquids, gels, slurries and/or pastes;
- and
- wherein said outlet valve means is in fluid connection with said dispensing element;
- and
- wherein said inlet valve means and said outlet valve means are disposed in three plates situated between said corresponding container and said cylindrical chamber, and designated upper, middle, and lower plates, the upper plate being farthest from said containers, the middle plate being intermediate in distance from said containers, and the lower plate being closest to said containers;
- and
- wherein said inlet valve means is a trampoline valve situated between said container and said piston or bellows;
- and
- wherein said trampoline valve is in open position when said piston or bellows is urged in the direction of the rest position, thereby providing fluid communication between said inlet valve means, said cylindrical chamber and said container;
- thereby drawing by vacuum pressure liquid, gel, slurry and/or paste from said corresponding container to said corresponding cylindrical chamber;
- and which is in closed position when said piston or bellows is urged in the direction of the dispensing position;
- and
- wherein said outlet valve means forms a part of said upper plate, and comprises a vent which is in open position when said piston or bellows is urged in the direction of the dispensing position, and which is in closed position when said piston or bellows is urged in the direction of the dispensing position thereby providing fluid communication between said cylindrical chamber, said outlet valve means and said dispensing element;
- thereby dispensing liquid, gel slurry and/or paste from said dispensing element by mechanical force;
- wherein two or more said containers each comprises:
- a) a rigid outer layer having a vent therein;
- b) a thin inner layer adjacent to but not adhesively bonded to said outer layer,
- wherein said inner layer forms a hermetic seal between said outer layer and said dosing pump;
- and
- wherein said inner layer contains said liquid, gel slurry and/or paste, and separates from said outer layer when said liquid, gel slurry and/or paste is suctioned from said two or more containers, said inner layer being collapsed and/or drawn toward said dosing pump.
A valve arrangement for a dosing pump for dispensing two or more liquids, gels, slurries and/or pastes which comprises:
- a) an inlet valve means adapted to receive a liquid, gel, slurry and/or paste by vacuum pressure;
- b) an outlet valve means adapted to receive a liquid, gel, slurry and/or paste by mechanical pressure;
- c) and a channel which is in fluid connection between said inlet valve means and said outlet valve means
- and where a), b) and c) are all disposed in one or more plates.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.