Pump dispenser

A method for making a product discharge assembly for a container of fluent material, said method comprising the steps of:

• (A) providing a finger-operable pump cartridge that (i) has an outwardly projecting, reciprocatable, product-dispensing stem biased to an elevated rest position, and (ii) is adapted to be installed in a mouth of a container that has a connection feature adjacent the mouth;
• (B) providing a closure that is adapted for mounting on said container at said mouth and that has (i) a connection feature for mating with said container connection feature to connect said closure to said container, (ii) a retention feature for engaging a portion of said pump cartridge to retain said pump cartridge on said container, (iii) an opening into which said pump cartridge can project, and (iv) a peripheral engagement feature;
• (C) providing an actuator for being mounted on said stem and having (i) a dispensing passage for establishing fluid communication between said stem and the exterior of said actuator, (ii) a finger-engageable region that can be subjected to force imposed by a finger to urge said stem further into said pump cartridge, and (iii) a skirt with a flange extending from, and continuously around, said skirt;
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• (D) providing a shroud having (i) a central cavity open at opposite ends for receiving said closure and actuator mounted on said stem, (ii) an internal engagement feature for engaging said closure peripheral engagement feature to secure said shroud to said closure, and (iii) a lip for engaging said actuator flange to inhibit removal of said actuator from said stem if said actuator is moved outwardly relative to said stem beyond a predetermined position;
• (E) disposing said pump cartridge in said closure;
• (F) installing said actuator on said stem;
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• (G) securing said shroud to said closure with at least portions of said pump cartridge, actuator, and closure received in said shroud central cavity to orient said shroud lip above said actuator flange.

A product discharge assembly for a container of fluent material, said assembly comprising:

• (A) a finger-operable pump cartridge that (i) has an outwardly projecting, reciprocatable, product-dispensing stem biased to an elevated rest position, and (ii) is adapted to be installed in a mouth of a container that has a connection feature adjacent the mouth;
• (B) an actuator that is adapted for being mounted on said stem and that includes (i) a dispensing passage for establishing fluid communication between said stem and the exterior of said actuator, (ii) a generally axially oriented rib that (a) projects radially inwardly from said actuator skirt, (b) has a lower end surface, and (c) has a lateral surface portions;
• and
• (C) a closure for mounting on said container at said mouth and having (i) a connection feature for mating with said container connection feature to connect said closure to said container, (ii) a retention feature for engaging a portion of said pump cartridge to retain said pump cartridge on said container, (iii) an opening into which the pump cartridge can project, (iv) a slot that (a) opens radially outwardly and is oriented generally parallel to the actuator reciprocation directions for receiving said rib, and (b) is defined at least in part by two spaced-apart sidewalls, (v) a generally axially oriented rear guide wall that (a) extends from said slot to a first circumferential location from said slot where said rear guide wall terminates in a first retention surface, and (b) defines a cam surface projecting further radially outwardly with increasing distance from said slot so that said rib engages said cam surface with increasing force as said rib moves along said cam surface away from said slot, (vi) an abutment surface that (a) extends from said slot to a second circumferential location that is further from said slot than is said first circumferential location, and (vii) a second retention surface projecting from said abutment surface at said second circumferential location to define a receiving space between said first and said second retention surfaces, said rear guide wall deflecting said rib radially outwardly as said actuator is rotated to move said rib toward said receiving space whereby said rib is resiliently urged into said receiving space when said rib has been rotated past said first retention surface.