Non-pulsating, non-throttling, vented pumping system for continuously dispensing product

A pumping system for pumping product from a container in a relatively continuous stream or spray, including in combination:

• a pressurizing pump including first and second check valves and a first spring-loaded piston and cylinder assembly for withdrawing a quantity of product from the container through said first check valve during an intake stroke and for pressurizing said quantity of product during a pressurizing stroke,
• storage compartment means including a second spring-loaded piston and cylinder assembly expandable for storing under a pressure determined by said second spring-loaded assembly, a quantity of pressurized product received through said second check valve from said pressurizing pump,
• a restricted outlet orifice,
• said storage compartment means being functionally located with said restricted outlet orifice at its outlet and said second check valve at its inlet from said pressurizing pump,
• said restricted orifice controlling the rate of product discharge therethrough so as to allow only a portion of the pressurized product to be dispensed from said pump during the pressurizing stroke, when pumping relatively rapidly, the remainder of said product being stored in said storage compartment means to be dispensed during the subsequent intake stroke of said first spring-loaded piston by contraction of said storage compartment means to maintain the stream or spray from the orifice when the pressurizing pump is receiving product on its intake stroke,
• said storage compartment means including an outlet opening in communication with said outlet orifice, said outlet opening being disposed relative to said second spring-loaded piston so that it is opened and closed by movement of the second spring-loaded piston thereby completely controlling the flow to the restricted orifice.

A manually actuated dispenser pumping system for dispensing product from a container, comprising:

• manually actuated pressurizing pump means having a pumping cylinder and piston which moves in a first direction during an intake stroke and in an opposite second direction during a pressurizing stroke for pressurizing product withdrawn from the container by said pump means;
• storage compartment means in communication with said pump means for storing pressurized product delivered from said pump means;
• accumulator piston means under bias in said storage compartment means and movable by the pressure of the product to expand the capacity of said storage compartment means;
• restricted orifice means in communication with said storage compartment means and restricted sufficiently to control the rate of product discharge therethrough so as to cause a portion of the product to be stored in said storage compartment during a pressurizing stroke of said piston of said pump means when pumping continuously to be discharged through said orifice on an intake stroke of said pump means, said accumulator piston means controlling the opening and closing of said restricted orifice means;
• vent means for venting said container to the atmosphere;
• said pump means having an intake valve and an exhaust valve, said intake valve allowing the product to enter said pump means from the container, and said exhaust valve allowing the product to enter said storage compartment means;
• said exhaust valve being located between said storage compartment means and said intake valve and serving to block any reverse flow of product from said storage compartment means on said intake stroke;
• said accumulator piston means acting to shut off said restricted orifice means in the rest condition of said pump means;
• and
• said piston of said pump means acting to shut off said vent means in the rest condition of said pump means and to open said vent means on the pressurizing stroke of said pump means.

In a manually operated pumping system for dispensing a fluent product from a container in a substantially non-pulsating discharge, said system having mounting means for attaching it to the container and comprising:

• means providing a pressurizing compartment for receiving product from the container;
• manually reciprocable actuator means movable in one direction in an intake stroke to withdraw product from the container into said pressurizing compartment and movable in the opposite direction in a pressure stroke to pressurize the product in said pressurizing compartment;
• means providing a storage compartment for receiving pressurized product from said pressurizing compartment upon said movement of said actuator means in its pressure stroke;
• and an outlet passageway leading from said storage compartment for dispensing pressurized product therefrom;
• the improvement which comprises the combination of:
• an accumulator piston slidably reciprocable in said storage compartment and operable to open and close said outlet passageway, spring means biasing said piston to a position closing said outlet passageway, said piston being movable by the pressure of product in said storage compartment against the bias of said spring means to open said outlet passageway;
• and a check valve acting between said pressurizing compartment and said storage compartment, said check valve being operative to pass pressurized product from said pressurizing compartment into said storage compartment for moving said piston to open said outlet passageway upon movement of said actuator means in its pressure stroke, said check valve being operative to block return flow of product from said storage compartment back into said pressurizing compartment upon the following intake stroke of said actuator means whereby to maintain the dispensing of product through said outlet passageway as long as the pressure of product in said storage compartment maintains said piston positioned to open said outlet passageway;
• said outlet passageway intersecting said storage compartment transverse to the path of movement of said piston therein, and said piston in its closing position directly sealingly engaging around the intersection of said outlet passageway with said storage compartment.