Continuous pumping system

In a pumping system for use with a container for product and a dip tube to dispense product from the container through the dip tube, said pumping system including:

• a housing with a mounting means to be affixed to the container;
• a manually actuated 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 dip tube and first check valve during an intake stroke and for pressurizing said quantity of product during a pressurizing stroke, said first cylinder also acting as part of said housing for attachment to the dip tube;
• 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;
• and
• means forming 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;
• the improvement wherein:
• said first cylinder and said mounting means are integral with each other in one piece of plastic;
• and
• a third cylinder integrally joined to said first cylinder by a shoulder and having a different diameter than said first cylinder;
• said shoulder having a vent opening therethrough;
• said first and second pistons being respectively biased by first and second spring means for operating said pistons and said second piston being coupled for movement with said first piston;
• and
• said second spring means having an upper end engaging a stationary portion of said housing over said storage compartment means and a lower end engaging said second piston such that said second spring means exerts a relatively steady pressure on said second piston when product is being dispensed from said pumping system;
• said second spring means extending during the pressurizing stroke of said first piston and cylinder assembly due to downward movement of said first piston when said pumping system is pumping air during priming of said pump to reduce the pressure of said second spring means on said second piston which moves upward to open said outlet opening and allows air to escape from said outlet orifice at low pressure for aiding in priming the pumping system.

In a pumping system for use with a container for product and a dip tube to dispense product from the container through the dip tube, said pumping system including:

• a housing with a mounting means to be affixed to the container;
• a manually actuated 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 dip tube and first check valve during an intake stroke and for pressurzing said quantity of product during a pressurizing stroke
• the improvement wherein:
• said cylinder and said mounting means are integral with each other in one piece of plastic;
• and
• another cylinder joined integrally to said first cylinder by a shoulder and having a different diameter than said first cylinder;
• said shoulder having a vent opening through the same;
• said piston having a first resilient sealing skirt projecting downward and sealingly engaging said first cylinder below said shoulder;
• and
• a second resilient sealing skirt projecting downward and sealingly engaging said other cylinder above said shoulder.