US 5,957,340 AGranted

Container with surmounting bellows pump

AssigneeW. Braun Company

InventorCraig Sawicki

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Abstract

A container for housing fluid material to be dispensed in incremental amounts. A conduit integrally formed with the container and in fluid-flow communication therewith serves to deliver material from the container upon generation of gaseous pressure within the body of the container above the physical level of the material stored therein. The container also includes a restricted filling port fitted with a closure cap. Interposed between the port and the body of the container, in coaxial disposition therewith, is a bellows assembly. The latter surmounts the container in fluid communication therewith, whereby application of manual or digital pressure downwardly upon the capped container effects physical compression of the bellows to force a volume-controlled and repetitively-rerproducible, incremental quantity of stored material from an open, exposed end of the fluid-delivery conduit for use. Withdrawal of compression forces applied to the bellows, and resultant responsive physical re-expansion of the bellows, effects, automatically, a vacuum-derived positive and forceful clearing of residual material from a lineal end sector of the product delivery conduit. Any dripping of material from the open end of the conduit is also obviated.

Claims7

Dependent claims

A container for storing and for positively dispelling and delivering therefrom fluid compositions contained therein,

said container comprising a body defining a fluid reservoir, said body including a floor-like base, and walls extending upwardly thereof,
a vertically-compressible bellows integrally formed with and surmounting said walls of said container as a coaxial extension thereof,
said bellows defining an interior zone in fluid flow communication with said fluid reservoir of said container,
a neck-like collar integrally formed with, and coaxial with, and mounted on said bellows at an upper limit thereof,
said collar being formed with an upwardly-opening port through which said container is filled,
cap-like closure means for sealing said port after introduction of a fluid composition into said reservoir,
tubular conduit means including dispenser tube means integrally formed with and supported exteriorly of and radially outwardly of diametric bounds of said container for establishing fluid flow communication with said reservoir at a locale adjacent said base of said container,
said conduit means projecting upwardly of said base and extending within vertical limits consistent with upper and lower bounds of said body of said container,
said conduit means having a terminal discharge end,
a nozzle integrally formed with said dispenser tube means at said terminal discharge end thereof,
orifice means at said terminal discharge end of said conduit means for delivery of a fluid composition positively dispelled from said reservoir upon application of downwardly-directed, manually impressed compression forces to said bellows of said container,
web means projecting outwardly of and extending along said wall means for connecting said wall means with said tubular conduit means for supporting and for stabilizing said conduit means;
and
said web means being integrally formed with said wall means and with said conduit means, and extending along an upward reach of said conduit means.

11 more elements

In a container for storing and for positively dispelling and delivering fluid compositions contained therein,

said container comprising a body defining a fluid reservoir, and said body including a floor-like base,
wall means projecting upwardly of said base, and said container including a neck defining a port through which said container is filled,
closure means for sealing said port after introduction of a fluid composition into said reservoir,
tubular conduit means including dispenser tube means integrally formed with and supported exteriorly of and radially outwardly of a diametric limit of said container for establishing fluid flow communication with said reservoir at a locale adjacent said base of said container;
said conduit means projecting upwardly of said base and extending within limits defined by lower and upper bounds of said body of said container, and said conduit means having a terminal discharge end;
a nozzle integrally formed with said dispenser tube means at said terminal discharge end thereof for discharge of material therefrom;
web means projecting outwardly of and extending along said wall means for connecting said wall means with said tubular conduit means for supporting and for stabilizing said conduit means;
said web means being integrally formed with said wall means and with said conduit means, and extending along an upward reach of said conduit means;
and
orifice means at said terminal discharge end of said conduir means for delivery of a fluid composition positively dispelled from said reservoir;
the improvement comprising:
bellows means interposed between and integrally formed coaxially with said body and said neck of said container for developing increased pressure in said reservoir and against the fluid composition housed therein, thereby to drive the fluid composition through said tube means of said conduit means to be dispelled from said nozzle at said terminal discharge end of said dispenser tube means.

9 more elements

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.