One turn actuated duration spray pump mechanism
원문보기
IPC분류정보
국가/구분
United States(US) Patent
등록
국제특허분류(IPC7판)
F04B-035/01
B05B-001/00
출원번호
US-0225146
(2014-03-25)
등록번호
US-9415401
(2016-08-16)
발명자
/ 주소
Blake, William Sydney
출원인 / 주소
Alternative Packaging Solutions LLC
대리인 / 주소
Rankin, Hill & Clark LLP
인용정보
피인용 횟수 :
0인용 특허 :
57
초록▼
A power assembly that can obtain duration discharge of product upon a single turn of an actuator sleeve to pressurize product and ready it for dispensing. The assembly includes a piston carried by a piston housing for reciprocation in a cylinder cup having a pump chamber. The actuator sleeve is conn
A power assembly that can obtain duration discharge of product upon a single turn of an actuator sleeve to pressurize product and ready it for dispensing. The assembly includes a piston carried by a piston housing for reciprocation in a cylinder cup having a pump chamber. The actuator sleeve is connected through a clutch disc to a drive screw that is connected to reciprocate the piston housing and piston when the actuator sleeve is rotated. The clutch disc is operative to first disengage the actuator sleeve from the drive screw and then move a stem valve to an open position when an actuator is depressed to dispense product. The power assembly can be used with various energy storage devices such as springs, gases or elastics to exert pressure on product to be dispensed when the actuator is turned.
대표청구항▼
1. A power assembly for obtaining duration discharge of a product from a container, the power assembly comprising: a cylinder cup adapted to be mounted to the container;a piston housing slidably received in the cylinder cup;a rotatable drive screw extending into the piston housing;a piston carried b
1. A power assembly for obtaining duration discharge of a product from a container, the power assembly comprising: a cylinder cup adapted to be mounted to the container;a piston housing slidably received in the cylinder cup;a rotatable drive screw extending into the piston housing;a piston carried by the piston housing, the piston being in slidingly sealed relationship within the cylinder cup and together with the cylinder cup defining a pump chamber, the piston housing and piston being configured to reciprocate in a first direction to draw the product into the pump chamber when the drive screw is rotated;an actuator sleeve configured to be rotatable relative to the container; a clutch normally biased into an engaged position wherein the clutch establishes a connection between the actuator sleeve and the drive screw such that rotation of the actuator rotates the drive screw, the clutch being movable from the engaged position to a disengaged position wherein the clutch does not connect the actuator sleeve to the drive screw and thus allows the drive screw to rotate without rotation of the actuator sleeve;an energy storage device configured to store energy upon movement of the piston housing in the first direction, the energy storage device biasing the piston housing and the piston in a second direction that is opposite to the first direction to pressurize the product in the pump chamber;a normally closed valve in fluid communication with the pump chamber that is configured to control a flow of the product from the pump chamber, and;an actuator operatively associated with the valve and the clutch, the actuator being movable to permit opening of the valve to discharge the product from the pump chamber and to move the clutch from the engaged position to the disengaged position. 2. The power assembly according to claim 1, wherein the actuator has a first position wherein the valve is closed and the clutch is in the engaged position, an intermediate position wherein the valve is closed and the clutch is in the disengaged position thereby allowing the piston to begin to rotate without the product being released from the pump chamber, and a second position wherein the valve is open and the clutch is in the disengaged position. 3. The power assembly according to claim 2, wherein the clutch comprises: a clutch disc having an annular wall and an upper marginal edge, the upper marginal edge of the clutch disc being provided with a ring of gear teeth;an annular flange on an upper end of the drive screw, the annular flange having a ring of gear teeth on a lower marginal edge of the annular flange in a position to mesh with the gear teeth of the clutch disc when the clutch disc and the annular flange are in contact; andan actuator return spring engaged between the clutch disc and the container cap to bias the clutch disc into contact with the annular flange, and to bias the actuator toward the first position. 4. The power assembly according to claim 1, wherein: helical threads are provided on an interior side of the piston housing that engage with helical threads on an exterior side of the drive screw; andaxial splines are provided on an interior side of the cylinder cup that engage with notches in an outer periphery of an annular flange on the piston housing. 5. The power assembly according to claim 1, wherein the energy storage device comprises a spring. 6. The power assembly according to claim 5, wherein the spring does not contact the product drawn from the container for discharge. 7. The power assembly according to claim 1, wherein: the cylinder cup is attached to a container cap that is adapted to be secured to an upper end portion of the container; andthe energy storage device comprises a spring. 8. The power assembly according to claim 7, wherein the actuator sleeve is elongate and extends at a lower end thereof past the container cap and over the upper end portion of the container. 9. The power assembly according to claim 8, wherein an outer sleeve is applied over a central portion of the actuator sleeve. 10. The power assembly according to claim 1, wherein the piston housing and piston are not formed together as a single part. 11. The power assembly according to claim 1, wherein the cylinder cup contains a one-way ball check valve connected with a dip tube to permit flow of product from the dip tube into the pump chamber and to prevent reverse flow of product from the pump chamber back into the dip tube. 12. A combination comprising: a container for containing a dischargeable product; anda power assembly according to claim 1 mounted to the container. 13. The power assembly according to claim 3, wherein an actuator socket is connected between the actuator and the clutch disc, and wherein the actuator socket moves with the actuator when the actuator is moved toward the second position thereby moving the clutch disc out of engagement with annular flange on the drive screw. 14. The power assembly according to claim 13, wherein: the piston is provided with an axial bore and the drive screw is provided with an axial bore, the axial bores being in fluid communication with one another and with the pump chamber; andthe valve comprises a valve seat tube on an upper end of the drive screw in fluid communication with the axial bore through the drive screw, and a stem valve carried by the actuator socket, the stem valve normally extending into the valve seat tube to block flow therethrough but being movable out of the valve seat tube to permit flow therethrough when the actuator is moved from the first position. 15. The power assembly according to claim 14, wherein at least one tab on an inner surface of the actuator sleeve engages with at least one slot on an exterior of the actuator socket and at least one tab on the exterior of the actuator socket engages with at least one slot on the interior of the actuator sleeve such that the actuator socket rotates when the actuator sleeve is rotated. 16. The power assembly according to claim 15, wherein detents on the inner surf ace of the actuator sleeve engage with an annular flange on the container cap to retain the actuator sleeve to the container cap and thus to the container. 17. The power assembly according to claim 16, wherein posts depending from an underside of the actuator frictionally engage sockets provided on an upper end of the actuator socket to retain the actuator to the actuator socket. 18. The power assembly according to claim 17, wherein: the piston has an extended end telescopically engaged in the axial bore provided through the drive screw; anda flared sealing flange is provided on the extended end in a slidingly sealed relationship with the axial bore provided through the drive screw. 19. A power assembly for obtaining duration discharge of a product from a container, the power assembly comprising: a piston carried by a cylindrical piston housing for reciprocation of the piston in a pump chamber in a lower end of a cylinder cup adapted to be attached to a container;a drive adapted to be connected between the piston and a rotatable actuator sleeve such that rotation of the actuator sleeve causes the piston to reciprocate in a first direction to draw the product from the container and into the pump chamber;an energy storage device connected with the piston such that reciprocation of the piston in the first direction stores energy in the energy storage device, the energy storage device acting on the piston to bias the piston in a second direction that is opposite to the first direction to pressurize the product drawn into the pump chamber;a valve having a normally closed position that blocks discharge of the product from the pump chamber, and an open position that permits discharge of the product from the pump chamber, the valve being adapted to be connected with a reciprocal actuator for moving the valve from the normally closed position to the open position when the reciprocal actuator is depressed; andan escapement mechanism connected in the drive, the escapement mechanism being configured to disengage the drive when the reciprocal actuator is depressed such that movement of the piston in the second direction does not cause movement of the actuator sleeve. 20. The power assembly according to claim 19, wherein the drive comprises: a clutch disc configured to be rotated by rotation of the actuator sleeve; anda drive screw connected with the clutch disc through interengaged gear teeth such that the drive screw is rotated by the clutch disc; andwherein the piston housing is configured to be reciprocated when the drive screw is rotated. 21. The power assembly according to claim 20, wherein the escapement mechanism includes the actuator, the clutch disc, and the interengaged gear teeth between the clutch disc and the drive screw, and wherein the actuator is connected with the clutch disc to reciprocate the clutch disc away from the drive screw and to disengage the gear teeth when the actuator is depressed. 22. The power assembly according to claim 21, wherein: the piston housing is reciprocal in the cylinder cup;the piston and the cylinder cup together define the pump chamber; andinterengaged helical threads provided between the drive screw and piston housing, and axial grooves and splines provided between an exterior of the piston housing and an interior surface of the cylinder cup, cause the piston housing and piston to reciprocate from a first, at-rest position to a second position and thereby draw the product from the container and into the pump chamber when the actuator sleeve and drive screw are rotated. 23. The power assembly according to claim 22, wherein an actuator return spring is engaged with the clutch disc to bias the clutch disc in a direction wherein the gear teeth on the clutch disc are meshed with the gear teeth on the drive screw, and to bias the actuator toward an un-depressed position. 24. The power assembly according to claim 23, wherein the actuator return spring comprises a coil spring engaged beneath the clutch disc. 25. The power assembly according to claim 23, wherein: an actuator socket is connected between the actuator and the clutch disc; andthe drive screw has an annular flange disposed between the actuator socket and the clutch disc; andthe actuator return spring comprises a leaf spring integrally formed with the drive screw that is located between the drive screw and the actuator socket. 26. A method for dispensing a product, the method comprising: providing the product in an interior volume of a container equipped with a power assembly, the power assembly comprising a cylinder cup mounted to the container,a piston housing slidably received in the cylinder cup,a rotatable drive screw extending into the piston housing,a piston carried by the piston housing, the piston being in a slidingly sealed relationship within the cylinder cup and together with the cylinder cup defining a pump chamber, the piston housing and piston being configured to reciprocate in a first direction to draw the product into the pump chamber when the drive screw is rotated;an actuator sleeve rotatably mounted on the container,a clutch normally biased into an engaged position wherein the clutch establishes a connection between the actuator sleeve and the drive screw such that rotation of the actuator sleeve rotates the drive screw, the clutch being movable from the engaged position to a disengaged position wherein the clutch does not connect the actuator sleeve to the drive screw and thus allows the drive screw to rotate without rotation of the actuator sleeve,an energy storage device configured to store energy upon movement of the piston housing in the first direction, the energy storage device biasing the piston housing and piston in a second direction that is opposite to the first direction to pressurize the product in the pump chamber,a normally closed valve in fluid communication with the pump chamber that is configured to control a flow of the product from the pump chamber, andan actuator operatively associated with the valve and with the clutch, the actuator being normally biased into a first position;rotating the actuator sleeve in one direction relative to the container with the clutch in the engaged position to rotate the drive screw and thereby cause the piston housing and piston to reciprocate in the first direction and draw the product into the pump chamber; andapplying pressure to depress the actuator from the first position and thereby open the valve and move the clutch to the disengaged position such that the product in the pump chamber is discharged from the container and the drive screw rotates without rotation of the actuator sleeve. 27. The method according to claim 26, wherein the depressing step includes: a first sub-step in which the actuator is moved from the first position to an intermediate position in which the valve remains closed but the clutch is disengaged to allow the piston to begin moving in the second direction; anda second sub-step in which the actuator is moved from the intermediate position to a second position in which the valve is opened and the product is discharged from the container. 28. The method according to claim 26, wherein, in the rotating step, the actuator is rotated in one direction 360° or less relative to the container. 29. The method according to claim 26, further comprising: releasing the pressure applied to the actuator before the product in the pump chamber is fully discharged; andreapplying pressure to the actuator to completely discharge the product in the pump chamber. 30. The method according to claim 26, wherein the rotating and applying pressure steps are repeated sequentially until all of the product in the container is discharged. 31. The method according to claim 26, wherein the container is a hand-held container, wherein the actuator sleeve is rotated by hand, and wherein pressure is applied to the actuator by hand.
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