This application relates generally to a dispenser system using actuators and controls for dispensing gas or fluid from pressurized canisters.
Dispensers with actuators are used to control the outflow of gas or fluid products from pressurized containers—such as aerosol cans. The actuator is designed to facilitate the gas or fluid flow from the pressurized container to another location. The actuator may be designed to release the pressurized gas or fluid from an attached container when the actuator is depressed. When the actuator is released, the actuator stops the release of pressurized gas from the canister. Unfortunately, following manufacture and packaging of the dispenser together with the pressurized canister, but prior to purchase, there is an increased risk of release of the pressurized gas or fluid due to unintentional depression of the actuator. Such unintentional depressing of the actuator may occur during shipping, shelving of the product in the retail setting, or a potential purchaser may unintentionally mishandle the product while reviewing the product prior to making a purchase.
The present application provides a dispenser with an improved actuator for a pressurized canister. The actuator may be part of a system and operate in connection with additional components.
The dispenser includes an external housing for containing actuator components forming a connection to the canister and operating to control the release of contents from the canister. The dispenser further includes a removable trigger lock or stop pin to prevent operation of the actuator components prior to removal of the stop pin from the dispenser. Internal actuator components may include a valve having a top stem connector for attachment to an output hose, support pins, and a one-way ball check valve having a stem fitting with an extended valve stem for engaging the pressurized canister, a pivoting actuator control or trigger having a trigger return spring for engagement at a pivot of the trigger and external housing to bias the trigger out of engagement with the valve, unless the stop pin is removed and the trigger is pivoted into operating engagement under compression of the trigger and trigger return spring by a user.
The pivoting actuator control connects within the external housing, and rotates around a pivot point at or near the connection with the external housing between locked and operating positions. When the trigger or actuator control rotates or pivots, it causes the trigger to engage with support pins extending transversely from the valve, and to slide the valve, ball check valve and extended valve stem down to engage, or up to disengage, a stem gasket within the pressurized canister. The trigger is designed to be blocked from operation by the removable trigger lock or stop pin, housed in locked position on and through an external surface of the dispenser external housing to prevent use of the dispenser until the stop pin is removed. The stop pin may be reengaged into locked position within the external housing following dispensing of gas or fluid from the canister.
The top stem connector of the valve may be located for attachment to an output hose that may pass within and through the external housing via a port extending from and configured through the external housing. The extended valve stem from the ball check valve stem fitting is configured to enter the output of the pressurized canister within the stem gasket.
The connection to the canister may fit over the canister's stem gasket, and connect using a threaded connection, snap-fit connection, friction fit connection or other connection. The canister connector may hold the extended valve stem to the canister. In some embodiments, the canister connector may include a seal to prevent leakage from the connection.
In some embodiments, the dispenser includes a sensor holder formed in the dispenser external housing. The sensor may be a mechanical component, electronic component or other accessory. The sensor is configured to be removable from the sensor holder in the dispenser.
In some embodiments, the sensor may connect to a measurement feature within the dispenser and provide a sensor output. The sensor output may be a display, such as a digital display to show pressure in the canister output.
The sensor or sensor holder may also be provided with an air freshening air permeable filter media for removing contaminants and/or particulates from within the vehicle cabin air, as well to provide a scented air freshening material dispersed within the vehicle cabin air.
Embodiments will now be described, by way of example only, with references to the accompanying drawings in which:
While the subject matter of this application may be embodied in many different forms, described here in detail is a preferred embodiment with the understanding that the present disclosure is to be considered as an exemplification of the principles described and is not intended to limit the broad aspects described to the embodiments illustrated. It will be understood that the disclosure may be embodied in other specific forms without departing from the spirit or central characteristics thereof. For context, the orientation of the components may be referred to by directions (e.g., top, bottom, right, left, etc.) as shown in the figures. Those skilled in the art will recognize that during use these directions may be changed without changing the relationship between components. The present embodiment, therefore, is to be considered in all respects as illustrative and not restrictive, and not to be limited to the details given herein.
The side walls 112 and 114 extend from the back of the dispenser 100 to the front, where the dispenser output port 106 is located. The side walls 112 and 114 may attach to each other using a variety of connectors. For example, the side walls 112 and 114 may have corresponding snap-fit or friction fit components. In other embodiments, the dispenser 100 may include screws, bolts, pins, adhesives or other connectors to hold the side walls 112 and 114 together. In some embodiments, the side walls 112 and 114 may connect to other components as well. For example, the side walls 112, 114 may support a valve 200, and form a trigger pivot 105 having an axle 202 movably supporting the trigger 104 using a trigger return spring 220. An external surface 115 of the dispenser external housing also includes a surface housing 118 for display and placement of advertising or trademark indicia™ related to the dispenser.
In the embodiment of
The portion of the trigger 104 housed within the dispenser external housing 102 includes the pivot point 105 located below the bottom edge 122 of the trigger opening. The finger operating portion 130 of the trigger forms a web 131, interconnecting spaced legs 135 forming part of the trigger. Each leg 135 extends inwardly into the dispenser external housing 102 from the finger operating portion 130 through the trigger opening, and extends downwardly to form a boss B including an opening 137 for engaging an axle 202 at the pivot 105. The boss B formed in each leg 135 is spaced from and below the bottom edge 122 of the trigger opening 121. The trigger 104 is rotatably mounted at the pivot point 105 located within the boss B and on the axle 202 engaged with and supported between the side walls 112, 114 within axle mounts 203 extending inwardly from within the external housing 102. A trigger return spring 220 with two legs 221, 222 is also mounted, wrapped or coiled to surround the axle 202, for biasing the trigger 104 between a closed position, as shown in
Each leg 135 additionally includes an activation portion 133 having a valve shoulder 138 and a lock shoulder 139. In the illustrated embodiment of
The output port 106 is in the front section of the dispenser external housing 102. The trigger opening 121 and output port 106 are configured to allow a hose or output tube 107 to disperse the contents of the canister 118, the hose passing from a connection, shown as a crimped connector 160 engagement with the top stem connector 208, within the dispenser external housing 102 and out of the dispenser 100 via a coupler 109 shown in
The sensor opening 111 is in a back section of the dispenser housing 102. The sensor fitting 110 surrounds the sensor opening 111. The sensor 108 is fitted into the sensor opening 111 and held in place on the dispenser housing 102 by the sensor fitting 110. The sensor fitting 110 is designed to temporarily lock the sensor 108 in place until the sensor is removed for use. The cover 171 of the sensor 108 may include openings 172 therethrough, to provide air to access the internal components of the sensor as shown in
An air permeable filter media 174 may also be used within the sensor 108, and may be any variety of filtering media for removing contaminants and/or particulates from air. Including for example, synthetic non-woven media, cellulose based filter media and/or foam filtering media. The filter media 174 may be a sheet material that is pleated, or a non-pleated filter mat of synthetic non-woven filter media, having various densities to provide the desired porosity for air flow through the filter media. Other filter media materials may also be known to those skilled in the art and may also be used.
As shown schematically in
A scented air freshening material 179 may also be provided on, in or adjacent the filter media 176. The air freshening material may be any air freshening composition known to those skilled in the art. The air freshening material may be a wax, gel or liquid material that is layered, embedded or sprayed onto portions of the air filter material. Such air freshening material is diffused into the airflow stream of the air vent and thereby dispersed within the vehicle cabin interior. Filtering of the air through the air filter media 176 may also be provided to remove particles and contaminants such as chemical contaminants, and depending on the filter media provided, all types of large and small biological contaminants including allergy agents like pollen. In addition to the air freshening material, the filter media 176 may additionally be provided with antimicrobial and/or antibacterial agents such as metal silver fibers as an effective antibacterial agent. Other antibacterial agents known to those skilled in the art may also be utilized on or in the filter media as antibacterial agents.
The removable back cover 116 may include one or more prongs to form snap-fit connections on or within openings 190 in the side walls 112, 114. The back wall 116 may prevent the inadvertent separation between the side walls 112 and 114. A bottom housing 250 for engagement over the mounting cup 120 of the canister, and including a bottom wall 252, is formed as part of the dispenser external housing 102. As shown in
The actuator components are supported in part within the dispenser external housing 102. As illustrated in
The canister connector 126 is secured through the bottom wall 252 and connects to a stem gasket 103 in the mounting cup 120 of the canister 118. In this embodiment, the stem gasket 103 includes threads for a connection with the canister connector 126. As shown in
As shown in
During operation, compression of the trigger 104 rotates the trigger about the pivot 105 to move the valve shoulder 138 on each leg 135 of the trigger 104 downward to engage and move/push the support pins 146 of the valve body portion 206 downward within the guide channels 136. The cross-sectional views of
In this embodiment, for example, the canister 118 may contain a refrigerant and the sensor may be a temperature and humidity sensor. Sensor 108 is shown with a clip 162, and shaped openings 172, S forming an airflow channel 164 through the sensor. On the opposite side from the clip 162 may be a vent 165, which allows the escape of air passing through the sensor 108. The two arms of the clip 162 are configured to snap over the projections 170 or a vane, vent or other component in an airflow path, such as a vent in a car dash.
The sensor 108 includes electronics, which include the temperature and humidity sensor, microchip or microprocessor and wireless communication chip or module. These structural components may be built into the same chip or combined on a board. The wireless communication chip may be any type of communication module, such as BLUETOOTH, WIFI, ZIGBEE or other communication component, and may include an incorporated antenna or connect to an antenna. The electronics also include a power source, such as a battery, which may be removable and replaceable in some embodiments. The sensor also includes a switch to turn the sensor on and off for operation for the sensor as part of a system for refrigerant charging or for interaction with the air freshening filter media.
The side walls 112 and 114 also include corresponding protrusions 170 extending inwardly from the dispenser external housing. When the sensor 108 is inserted, the clip 162 fits around the corresponding protrusions 170. The protrusions 170 support the clip 162 within the dispenser housing 102 and prevent inadvertent movement of the sensor 108.
When the user pulls or squeezes the trigger 104, the trigger rotates or pivots about the axle 202 to engage the actuator valve shoulder 138 with the valve support pins 146 and move or slide the valve 200 down to open the valve and engage the extended valve stem 209 into the canister 118 to release the contents of the canister 118. The contents of the canister 118 flow through the extended valve stem 209, the one-way ball check valve 200, the top stem connector 204, and out through the output hose 107 and coupler 109 or other output feature.
In this embodiment, the sensor 308 detects humidity and temperature in the airflow from the vent of the automobile 312. The sensor 308 will take baseline ambient temperature and humidity readings to begin. The sensor 308 will continue to read the temperature and humidity and will communicate the readings via a wireless communication to the mobile device 310.
The mobile computer application on the mobile device 310 will process the humidity and temperature from the initial reading to determine when the change in temperature and humidity indicates that the air conditioning system is fully charged. At such time, the application may display instructions for the user to stop charging the system. In some embodiments, the application may display color-coded signals to indicate the stage of the charging process. For example, the application may begin green, then change to yellow as the temperature and humidity approach the charged state and red when the charged state is reached. Ensuring that the air conditioning system is not overcharged protects the system from potential damage.
To use the refrigerant charging system 300, the user may remove the sensor 308 from the sensor opening in the dispenser 304 and attach it to the air vent. For example, the sensor 308 may include a clip that snaps onto the automobile 312's vent. The user may also connect the hose 306 to the automobile 312's air conditioning system for recharging refrigerant. The user may also open a monitoring application in the mobile device 310. The mobile device 310 and the sensor 308 may pair to ensure real-time communication.
With the setup complete, the user or another person may start the automobile 312 and turn the air conditioning system on to a full or highest cold setting. The user may then begin charging the air conditioning system by squeezing the trigger on the dispenser 304 when instructed by the system. The user may hold the trigger down while watching the application running on the mobile device 310. When the application indicates the air conditioning system is fully charged, the user releases the trigger of the dispenser 304 to stop charging the system. The application may provide a visual, auditory or sensory indication through the display, speakers or vibratory output of the mobile device 310.
The dispenser being thus described and further described in the claims, it will be obvious that the same may be varied in many ways. Such variations are not to be regarded as a departure from the spirit and scope set forth herein, and all such modifications as would be obvious to one skilled in the art are intended to be included within the scope of the apparatus described.
This application claims priority from U.S. patent application Ser. No. 29/733,001, filed Apr. 29, 2020, U.S. Ser. No. 16/945,843, filed Aug. 1, 2020, and Ser. No. 17/022,996, filed Sep. 16, 2020, the latter two of which claim priority from patent application Ser. No. 15/332,716 filed Oct. 24, 2016, which claims the benefit of provisional patent application Ser. No. 62/245,451 filed Oct. 23, 2015, the entireties of which are incorporated herein by reference.
Number | Name | Date | Kind |
---|---|---|---|
3976110 | White | Aug 1976 | A |
4593607 | Bennett | Jun 1986 | A |
4895190 | Gillen | Jan 1990 | A |
5248068 | Goergen | Sep 1993 | A |
6296228 | Knowles | Oct 2001 | B1 |
6334320 | Brown | Jan 2002 | B1 |
6360554 | Trachtenberg | Mar 2002 | B1 |
6385986 | Ferris | May 2002 | B1 |
6446453 | Trachtenberg | Sep 2002 | B1 |
7260943 | Carrubba | Aug 2007 | B2 |
8875524 | Parnell | Nov 2014 | B1 |
9243829 | Parnell | Jan 2016 | B1 |
9915357 | Ehlert | Mar 2018 | B1 |
10632816 | Cai | Apr 2020 | B2 |
10724775 | Wang | Jul 2020 | B1 |
11142391 | O'Brien | Oct 2021 | B1 |
11199348 | Wang | Dec 2021 | B1 |
20010030596 | Barbier | Oct 2001 | A1 |
20050061014 | Cannan | Mar 2005 | A1 |
20120192576 | Carrubba | Aug 2012 | A1 |
20120324920 | Carrubba | Dec 2012 | A1 |
20150040588 | Carrubba | Feb 2015 | A1 |
20150184911 | Pistone | Jul 2015 | A1 |
20160003509 | Pistone | Jan 2016 | A1 |
20160187039 | Higami | Jun 2016 | A1 |
20160290694 | Pearl | Oct 2016 | A1 |
20190032977 | Carrubba | Jan 2019 | A1 |
20190368795 | Pistone | Dec 2019 | A1 |
20200271363 | Brewer, II | Aug 2020 | A1 |
20220260291 | Benack | Aug 2022 | A1 |
Number | Date | Country |
---|---|---|
WO-2011017425 | Feb 2011 | WO |
Number | Date | Country | |
---|---|---|---|
Parent | 17022996 | Sep 2020 | US |
Child | 17684918 | US | |
Parent | 16945843 | Aug 2020 | US |
Child | 17022996 | US | |
Parent | 29733001 | Apr 2020 | US |
Child | 16945843 | US |