Fluid dispenser having a housing and flexible inner bladder

A dispenser for dispensing a fluid, comprising:

• a housing;
• a flexible bladder mounted within the housing and defining an interior chamber within the flexible bladder, and a fluid-receiving chamber between the bladder and the housing;
• means for creating a first pressure within the fluid-receiving chamber greater than a second pressure within the interior chamber of the bladder and thereby preventing the ingress of gases or vapors into the fluid-receiving chamber;
• and
• a seal formed between the flexible bladder and housing for sealing the fluid-receiving chamber, wherein the seal includes a first protuberance extending radially outwardly on an outer surface of the flexible bladder, and a second protuberance axially spaced relative to the first protuberance and extending radially inwardly on an inner surface of the bladder, and the first and second protuberances are subject to radial compression to seal the interface between the flexible bladder and housing.

A dispenser for dispensing a fluid, comprising:

• a housing;
• a flexible bladder mounted within the housing and defining an interior chamber within the flexible bladder, and a fluid-receiving chamber between the flexible bladder and the housing;
• and
• means for creating a first pressure within the fluid-receiving chamber greater than a second pressure within the interior chamber of the bladder and thereby preventing the ingress of gases or vapors into the fluid-receiving chamber;
• a plug receivable within an open end of the housing and defining at least one aperture therethrough in fluid communication with the interior chamber of the flexible bladder;
• a seal formed between the plug and housing;
• and
• a two-way valve coupled in fluid communication between the interior chamber of the flexible bladder and the aperture of the plug for preventing fluid communication between the interior chamber of the bladder and the ambient atmosphere when a pressure differential across the two-way valve is less than a threshold level.

A dispenser for dispensing a fluid, comprising:

• a housing;
• a flexible bladder mounted within the housing and defining an interior chamber within the flexible bladder, and a fluid-receiving chamber between the flexible bladder and the housing;
• and
• means for creating a first pressure within the fluid-receiving chamber greater than a second pressure within the interior chamber of the bladder and thereby preventing the ingress of gases or vapors into the fluid-receiving chamber;
• and
• wherein the flexible bladder defines two radially compressible sealing surfaces and at least one axially compressible sealing surface axially spaced relative to each radially compressible sealing surface, and wherein a first radially compressible sealing surface is located on an external peripheral surface of the flexible bladder, and a second radially compressible sealing surface is located on an internal peripheral surface of the bladder, and the first and second radially compressible sealing surfaces are axially offset relative to each other.

A dispenser for dispensing a fluid, comprising:

• a housing;
• a flexible bladder mounted within the housing and defining an interior chamber within the flexible bladder, and a fluid-receiving chamber between the flexible bladder and the housing;
• means for creating first pressure within the fluid-receiving chamber greater than a second pressure within the interior chamber of the bladder and thereby preventing the ingress of gases-or vapors into the fluid-receiving chamber;
• a piston;
• a slide for slidably receiving the piston therein, wherein at least one of the piston and the slide is reciprocable relative to the other, and the piston is made of a relatively hard material, the slide is made of a relatively soft material, and the piston flexes at least a portion of the slide outwardly upon moving at least one of the piston and the slide relative the other;
• and
• a nozzle coupled in fluid communication with the slide for receiving fluid pumped therethrough by the piston, and wherein the nozzle and slide are formed integral with each other as a single part.

A dispenser for dispensing a fluid, comprising:

• a housing;
• a flexible bladder mounted within the housing and defining an interior chamber within the flexible bladder, and a fluid-receiving chamber between the flexible bladder and the housing;
• and
• means for creating a first pressure within the fluid-receiving chamber greater than a second pressure within the interior chamber of the bladder and thereby preventing the ingress of gases or vapors into the fluid-receiving chamber;
• and
• wherein the flexible bladder is movable between an expanded condition and a predetermined collapsed condition, and the dispenser further comprises means for controlling the bladder to collapse into the predetermined collapsed condition.

A dispenser for dispensing a fluid, comprising:

• a housing
• a flexible bladder mounted within the housing and defining an interior chamber within the flexible bladder, and a fluid-receiving chamber between the flexible bladder and the housing, wherein the flexible bladder is movable between a collapsed condition upon filling the fluid-receiving chamber with a fluid, and an expanded condition upon dispensing the fluid from the fluid-receiving chamber, and is formed of a resilient material that flexes the bladder outwardly toward the expanded condition and, in turn, creates a first pressure within the fluid-receiving chamber greater than a second pressure in the interior chamber of the bladder to thereby prevent the ingress of gases or vapors into the fluid-receiving chamber;
• a pump coupled in fluid communication with the fluid-receiving chamber and including a slide defining an axially-elongated passageway and a piston slidably received within the axially-elongated passageway, wherein the slide defines within the axially-elongated passageway a compression zone, a first portion formed between the compression zone and the fluid-receiving chamber, and a second portion located on an opposite side of the compression zone relative to the first portion, wherein the first portion is defined by a first radius and the compression zone is defined by a second radius that is less than the first radius, and at least one of the piston and slide is movable relative to the other between (i) a first actuated position with the tip of the piston received within the first portion of the slide, and the compression zone coupled in fluid communication with the fluid-receiving chamber for receiving fluid therefrom, and (ii) a rest position with a tip of the piston received within the second portion of the slide;
• and
• a nozzle comprising a valve including an annular, axially-extending valve seat, an outlet aperture coupled in fluid communication between the valve seat and the compression zone, and a flexible valve cover extending about the valve seat and forming an annular, axially-extending interface therebetween, wherein the interface is connectable in fluid communication with the outlet aperture, and at least part of the valve cover is movable between (i) a normally closed position with the valve cover engaging the valve seat to close the interface and form a fluid-tight seal therebetween, and (ii) an open position with at least part of the valve cover spaced away from the valve seat in response to fluid flowing through the outlet aperture at a pressure greater than a valve opening pressure to allow the passage of pressurized fluid therebetween.

A dispenser for dispensing a fluid, comprising:

• a housing defining therein an enclosure;
• first means mounted within the enclosure of the housing for forming an expandable and collapsible first fluid-receiving chamber on one side thereof, and an expandable and collapsible second fluid-receiving chamber on another side thereof;
• second means for creating a first pressure within the first fluid-receiving chamber greater than a second pressure within the second fluid-receiving chamber and thereby preventing the ingress of gases or vapors into the first fluid-receiving chamber;
• a pump coupled in fluid communication with the reservoir and including an axially-elongated passageway and third means for pumping fluid within the axially-elongated passageway wherein the pump defines within the axially-elongated passageway a compression zone, a first portion formed between the compression zone and the first fluid-receiving chamber, and a second portion located on an opposite side of the compression zone relative to the first portion, wherein the first portion is defined by a first dimension and the compression zone is defined by a second dimension that is less than the first dimension, and at least one of the third means and axially-elongated passageway is movable relative to the other between (i) a first actuated position wherein the third means is received within the first position of the axially-elongated passageway, and the compression zone is coupled in fluid communication with the first fluid-receiving chamber for receiving fluid therefrom, and (ii) a rest position wherein the third means is received within the second portion of the axially-elongated passageway;
• and
• fourth means coupled in fluid communication with the third means for dispensing the pumped fluid and preventing any fluid from flowing therethrough in the opposite direction.

A dispenser for dispensing a fluid, comprising:

• a housing;
• a chamber-forming member mounted within the housing and forming (1) a fluid-tight seal between the housing and the chamber-forming member, and (2) a variable-volume, fluid-receiving chamber between the housing and the chamber-forming member;
• a pump coupled in fluid communication with the variable-volume, fluid-receiving chamber and including a slide defining an axially-elongated passageway and a piston slidably received within the axially-elongated passageway, wherein the slide defines within the axially-elongated passageway a compression zone, a first portion formed between to compression zone and the fluid-receiving chamber, and a second portion located on an opposite side of the compression zone relative to the first portion, wherein the first portion is defined by a first radius and the compression zone is defined by a second radius that is less than the first radius, and at least one of the piston and slide is movable relative to the other between (i) a first actuated position with the tip of the piston received within the first portion of the slide, and the compression zone coupled in fluid communication with the fluid-receiving chamber for receiving fluid therefrom, and (ii) a rest position with a tip of the piston received within the second portion of the slide;
• a nozzle comprising a valve including an annular, axially-extending valve seat an outlet aperture coupled in fluid communication between the valve seat and the compression zone, and a flexible valve cover extending about the valve seat and forming an annular, axially-extending interface therebetween, wherein the interface is connectable in fluid communication with the outlet aperture, and at least part of the valve cover is movable between (i) a normally closed position with the valve cover engaging the valve seat to close the interface and form a fluid-tight seal therebetween, and (ii) an open position with at least part of the valve cover spaced away from the valve seat in response to fluid flowing through the outlet aperture at a pressure greater than a valve opening pressure to allow the passage of pressurized fluid therebetween;
• and
• at least one spring drivingly connected to at least one of the piston and slide, wherein the spring drives at least one of the piston and the slide from the first actuated position to the rest position to pressurize fluid in the compression zone and, in turn, dispense a metered dosage of fluid from the variable-volume fluid-receiving chamber trough the valve, and wherein the volume of the variable-volume fluid-receiving chamber decreases in an amount substantially equal to the metered dosage of fluid dispensed therefrom.