Liquid dispenser for an inverted container
AssigneeThe Procter & Gamble Company
InventorsThierry Christian Francis DAGNELIE, Ana Lucia ROMERO GUEVARA, Cedric Daniel Junior TOELEN, Vincent Hubert Monique DE WILDE
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Abstract
The need for a liquid dispenser and inverted container that provides for improved dosing of viscous liquid compositions, especially at low dosage volumes, while being more resistant to leakage, is met by incorporating an impact resistance system into the dispenser, the impact resistance system comprising an inner and outer wall, with the inner wall being higher than the openings in the outer wall that allow ingress of the liquid into the impact resistance system.
Claims20
A liquid dispenser for affixing to an inverted container containing dispensable liquid, the dispenser comprising:
- a) a body of the dispenser comprising a connecting sleeve, wherein the connecting sleeve is adaptable for engaging to an exterior surface proximate an opening of the inverted container and is spaced radially inwardly to define an internal discharge conduit for establishing fluid communication with the liquid contained in the inverted container;
- b) a valve localized in the body extending across the internal discharge conduit, the valve having an interior side for being contacted by the liquid contained inside the inverted container and an exterior side for being exposed to the exterior atmosphere, wherein the valve defines a dispensing orifice that is reactably openable when the pressure on the valve interior side exceeds the pressure on the valve exterior side;
- and
- c) an impact resistance system localized upstream of the valve, the system comprises:
- a housing having a cavity therein and extending longitudinally from the body and radially inwardly from the sleeve;
- wherein the housing comprises at least one inlet opening that provides a flow path for the liquid from the inverted container into the housing, and at least one outlet opening that provides a path of egress for the liquid from the housing to the exterior atmosphere when the dispensing orifice is opened, wherein the cavity is adapted to be partially occupied by a compressible substance, wherein the at least one inlet opening comprises a lower edge proximal to the body and an upper edge distal to the body, such that the at least one inlet opening has an inlet opening height (H),
- characterized in that:
- the impact resistance system further comprises a wall positioned radially inwardly from the housing, extending longitudinally from the body, and encircling around the valve interior side, and
- the wall extends longitudinally from the body further than the upper edge of the at least one inlet opening,
- wherein the ratio of the overlap distance (O) to the inlet opening height (H) is about 1.0 or higher, and the ratio of the diameter of the housing internal surface to the diameter of the wall outer surface is at least about 1.5:1.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.