DISPENSER

Abstract

A dispenser has an actuation device (24) for dispensing components from an output device (31) which is connected to reservoirs (26, 27). The actuation device acts on the pumping devices (34, 35) indirectly via a dosing device and the dosing device is equipped with a setting device (23) which can be actuated to change the position of a transmission element (40) acting on the pumping devices for setting the quantity ratio of the components. Both the setting device and the actuation device can be rotated about a longitudinal axis (25) of the dispenser.

Description

FIELD OF THE INVENTION

The present invention relates to a dispenser for the dosed dispensing of at least two components received in one reservoir respectively, wherein a separate pumping device is assigned to each reservoir and the pumping devices are equipped with an actuation device for dispensing the components from an output device which is connected to the reservoirs, wherein the actuation device acts on the pumping devices indirectly via a dosing device and the dosing device is equipped with a setting device which can be actuated to change the position of a transmission element acting on the pumping devices for setting the quantity ratio of the components.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

Document EP 1 104 336 A1 discloses a dispenser of the type specified above, which has a setting device for setting the quantity ratio of the components, the setting device having a transmission element which can be swiveled about a swivel axis and which acts on the pumping devices upon execution of a swivel movement. For the purpose of setting the dosing device, the swivel axis of the transmission element is rotated about the vertical axis of the dispenser by means of a setting device. Subsequent to setting the dosing device an actuation force is exerted on an actuation section of the transmission element for dispensing the components from the reservoirs, such that the transmission element is swiveled about the swivel axis which runs transversely to the longitudinal axis of the dispenser in response to the exertion of the actuation force.

The translational actuation being necessary in the known dispenser for the purpose of executing a swivel movement of the transmission element about the swivel axis of the transmission element being transversely oriented to the longitudinal axis, in practical applications permits only a very inaccurate dosing of the total quantity of the two components dispensed from the output device. Moreover, the output of a reproducible dispensing quantity of the two components using the known actuation device is only possible when the transmission element executes a full cycle about the swivel axis. By contrast, the output of only a partial quantity of the possible maximum quantity is hardly possible in a reproducible manner, since the reproducible output of a partial quantity requires a correspondingly reproducible execution of a partial cycle of the transmission element. However, the execution of a defined cycle of the transmission element is scarcely possible in the light of the overall very short distance traveled by the transmission element when a swivel movement is executed.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

Thus, the present invention is based on the object of providing a dispenser which enables an accurate dosing of a dispensing quantity composed of two components.

Moreover, it is an object of the invention to provide a dispenser which can be actuated in a simpler manner and thus provides a higher level of actuating convenience on the part of the user.

In the inventive dispenser, both the setting device for setting the quantity ratio of the components and the actuation device for dispensing the components from the output device, for the purpose of actuation, can be rotated about a longitudinal axis of the dispenser.

According to the invention, use is made of the aspect that the user of a dispenser basically perceives it more convenient to execute the actuations or the settings, which are to be performed by the user at the dispenser during use, by carrying out similar manual movements. The reason can be seen in particular in the light of the aspect that in the inventive dispenser, the manipulation of the dispenser is not required to be altered between the setting of the mixing ratio of the components and the actuation for dispensing of the components in the set mixing ratio. Instead, in both cases a rotational movement about the longitudinal axis of the dispenser needs to be executed.

Moreover, the invention is based on the aspect that, for ergonomic reasons, it is much easier for the user of such a dispenser to execute a reproducible rotational movement than it is to execute a translational movement, in particular, in any instance where the travel path available for effecting the translational movement is rather short.

In a preferred embodiment of the dispenser, the setting device of the dosing device has an adjusting housing which can be rotated about the longitudinal axis of a reservoir housing, in which the reservoirs for receiving the components and the pumping devices are received, and in which adjusting housing the transmission element is arranged in a rotationally fixed manner with respect to the adjusting housing and so as to be axially displaceable on the longitudinal axis of the adjusting housing for actuating the pumping devices, wherein the transmission element has a contact surface of an annular design or being formed as a ring segment which has a surface contour changing in shape along its circumference and interacting with the pumping devices.

In this advantageous embodiment the special design of the setting device thus makes it possible to convert a manual rotational movement of the adjusting housing, caused by the user acting upon the adjusting housing from the outside, into an axial or else translational movement of the transmission element, so that on the one hand an advantageous rotational displacement of the setting device with a view to ergonomics is enabled by the user and, on the other hand, the axial adjusting movement of the transmission element enables a functionally reliable actuation of the pumping devices, wherein the horizontal orientation of the transmission element with respect to a vertical orientation of the longitudinal axis of the dispenser is always maintained.

In particular, when the transmission element acts upon the pumping devices, relative movements between the transmission element and the pumping devices are not produced, which may give rise to wear and tear, potentially preventing a reliable and desirably durable as well as secure use of the dispenser.

The setting of the desired quantity ratio between the two components provided for the dispensing is performed by merely rotating the transmission element about the vertical axis of the dispenser and of the adjusting housing until the relative position of the transmission element with respect to the pumping devices is reached, in which the different contact regions of the transmission element defining the quantity ratio are assigned to the pumping devices.

Advantageously, the actuation device for dispensing the components can have an actuating housing which can be rotated about the longitudinal axis of the dispenser relative to the adjusting housing, said actuating housing being equipped with a guide arrangement to enable the axial displacement of the transmission element, wherein a first guide device of the guide arrangement, which is formed in the actuating housing, interacts with a second guide device of the guide arrangement, which is formed independently of the actuating housing, for converting a rotary movement of the actuating housing into an axial movement of the transmission element.

A particularly functionally reliable, and at the same time easily implementable design of the second guide device, is enabled if the second guide device has a guide section having an axially oriented guide slot and a pin arrangement positioned at the transmission element with at least one radial guide pin which penetrates through the guide slot and with its contact end interacts with the first guide device of the actuating housing.

It is equally particularly advantageous if the actuating housing, for the purpose of forming the first guide device, on its inner wall being coaxially arranged with respect to the guide section of the adjusting housing has a guide path having a contact contour interacting with the contact end of the guide pin and controlling the axial movement of the transmission element, so that the coaxial arrangement of the actuating housing with respect to the adjusting housing enables an overall compact design of the dispenser.

A detent for the direction of rotation or a definition of a possible direction of rotation can be realized if the axially oriented guide slot formed in the guide section at its lower end has a pin catch for receiving the radial guide pin to define a direction of rotation of the actuation device.

A particularly advantageous design of the dispenser, which contributes to further enhancing the reproducibility of defined dispensing quantities of the dispenser, for the purpose of defining an initial position of the actuation device, in which the pumping devices are not acted upon by the transmission element, has a spring device between a stop formed at the guide section and the transmission element, so that the initial position can be accurately detected by the user with a view to haptics in that resistance against the rotational displacement of the actuation device is minimized in the initial position.

It is particularly advantageous if the stop is formed at the axial end of a pin formed at the bottom of the guide section and extending through an opening formed in a bottom of a central sleeve-shaped indentation of the transmission element, and if the spring device is formed as a helical spring which is arranged in an annular space formed between the pin and the indentation and which extends between the stop and the bottom. By means of this measure, a secure housing for the spring device is created so that the function of the spring device is equally ensured even over a long period of use of the dispenser.

Alternatively to the design of the dispenser with a spring device, for the purpose of defining an initial position of the actuation device, it is equally advantageously possible to make provision for a latching device which is disposed at an axial end of a latching pin, which is arranged in the guide section, which latching device, in the transmission element being disposed in the initial position, engages behind an edge of a central opening in the transmission element.

In this embodiment of the dispenser, wherein the constructional measures for defining the initial position of the actuation device are carried out in a particularly simple manner, it proves to be advantageous to ensure a reliable functioning if the guide path arranged in the inner wall of the actuating housing is formed as a guide groove, the groove edges thereof, which run in parallel to one another, receiving the guide pin between them.

It is equally particularly advantageous if for forming the second guide device the guide section is formed by the adjusting housing and the pin arrangement with the at least one guide pin is formed at the transmission element, such that when the adjusting housing is rotated, the guide section is correspondingly rotated as well. In this way, the adjusting housing performs an advantageous double function, so that it is possible to correspondingly reduce the number of individual parts.

In a particularly advantageous embodiment of the dispenser, for the purpose of the defined relative arrangement of the adjusting housing with respect to the reservoir housing, a latching device is formed between the adjusting housing and the reservoir housing, which latching device has a plurality of latching positions for a defined assignment of contact regions of the transmission element being formed on the contact surface, and plungers acting on pumping pistons of the pumping devices. On the one hand, the latching device facilitates the repeated setting of a relative rotational position between the adjusting housing and the reservoir housing for the purpose of reproducibly setting a mixing ratio. On the other hand, the setting of a once set mixing ratio between the components can also be secured by the latching device.

If the latching device is formed as a modular latching unit which can be inserted between the reservoir housing and the adjusting housing and which can be actuated as a function of the direction of rotation with respect to the reservoir housing to enable the relative rotation of the adjusting housing, it is possible to set the direction of rotation by simply exchanging the latching device.

It is particularly advantageous if the latching unit has a first latching element of an annular design which can be connected to the reservoir housing in a rotationally fixed manner, and a second latching element of an annular design, which can be connected to the adjusting housing in a rotationally fixed manner, wherein the latching elements interact with one another via a latching engagement which is produced in a common annular plane with the aid of latching projections, said latching projections being formed by a toothed pawl section, such that the latching unit can be realized by saving a great deal of material and space.

An elastically resilient latching engagement is enabled if one of the two latching elements has the toothed pawl section only in a ring segment.

A particularly accurate relative alignment between the reservoir housing and the adjusting housing is enabled if the latching device has a latching axle which is connected to the reservoir housing and which engages with a hub of the transmission element being formed as a latching sleeve to produce a latching engagement.

It is advantageous if the latching projections formed on the circumference of the latching axle interact with latching projections formed on the bore wall of the sleeve to produce the latching engagement.

A particularly functionally reliable design is enabled if the latching projections are formed by a toothed pawl section.

In an advantageous embodiment for forming the second guide device, the guide section is connected to the reservoir housing in a rotationally fixed manner, and the pin arrangement is formed as a guide ring having at least one guide pin. Moreover, the transmission element is received in the guide ring so as to be rotatable and is connected to the adjusting housing in a rotationally fixed manner by means of a radial engagement device, such that when the adjusting housing is rotated, a relative rotation with respect to the guide housing is effected by the same as well. In this way, it can be prevented that the plungers of the pumping devices are acted upon by a torque when a force is exerted on the plungers.

If the engagement device has a setting sleeve in which the transmission element is received in a rotationally fixed manner and so as to be axially displaceable, wherein the setting sleeve produces an engaging connection to the adjusting housing via a setting pin which penetrates radially through the guide section in a setting groove, the adjusting housing can be formed as an adjusting ring.

If, for the purpose of the defined relative arrangement of the adjusting housing, a latching device is formed between the setting sleeve and the guide section, which latching device has a plurality of latching positions for a defined assignment of contact regions of the transmission element being formed on the contact surface, and plungers acting on pumping pistons of the pumping devices, in spite of a possible simple design of the adjusting housing as a ring, a reproducible setting is enabled.

If, according to a particularly advantageous embodiment, the contact regions are formed on the contact surface of the transmission element by contact ledges which are arranged in a stepped sequence, irrespective of the surface contour and topography changing along the circumference of the transmission element, it is ensured that identical contact conditions are always created between the transmission element and the plunger independently of the relative position of the transmission element with respect to the plungers of the pumping devices.

Moreover, if the contact ledges are formed by blind bores which are arranged in a horizontal surface of the transmission element, a particularly accurate adaptation between the contact regions and the plungers of the pumping devices is enabled, such that otherwise potentially occurring wear and tear can be avoided.

Advantageous embodiments of the dispenser will be described hereinafter in more detail with reference to the drawings. The various features of novelty which characterize the invention are pointed out with particularity in the claims annexed to and forming a part of this disclosure. For a better understanding of the invention, its operating advantages and specific objects attained by its uses, reference is made to the accompanying drawings and descriptive matter in which preferred embodiments of the invention are illustrated.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

In the drawings:

FIG. 1 is a view illustrating an embodiment of a dispenser having a reservoir housing with a manipulation device;

FIG. 2 is a cross-sectional view according to intersection lines II-II of FIG. 1, illustrating the dispenser shown in FIG. 1;

FIG. 3 is a cross-sectional view according to intersection lines III-III of FIG. 2;

FIG. 4 is a perspective view illustrating the manipulation device formed of a setting device and an actuation device of the dispenser shown in FIG. 1;

FIG. 5 is an exploded view of the manipulation device shown in FIG. 4;

FIG. 6 is a top view illustrating a transmission element of the manipulation device shown in FIG. 5;

FIG. 7 is an isometric view of an adjusting housing shown in FIG. 5;

FIG. 8 is a cross-sectional view of the transmission element shown in FIG. 6 according to intersection lines VIII-VIII of FIG. 6;

FIG. 9 is a top view of the transmission element inserted into the adjusting housing;

FIG. 10 is a cross-sectional view of the manipulation device shown in FIG. 4 having a transmission element arranged in the initial position;

FIG. 11 is a cross-sectional view of the manipulation device shown in FIG. 10 according to intersection lines XI-XI of FIG. 10;

FIG. 12 is a cross-sectional view of the manipulation device shown in FIG. 10 according to intersection lines XII-XII of FIG. 10;

FIG. 13 is an individual view of an actuating housing coaxially connected to a guide section of the adjusting housing according to the view of FIG. 11;

FIG. 14 is a cross-sectional view of another embodiment of a manipulation device in a view corresponding to FIG. 12;

FIG. 15 is a cross-sectional view of an actuating housing for combination with the adjusting housing of the manipulation device shown in FIG. 14;

FIG. 16 is a longitudinal cross-sectional view of another embodiment of a dispenser;

FIG. 17 is an exploded view of the manipulation device of the dispenser shown in FIG. 16;

FIG. 18 is a longitudinal cross-sectional view of another embodiment of a dispenser;

FIG. 19 is an exploded view of the manipulation device of the dispenser shown in FIG. 18;

FIG. 20 is a longitudinal cross-sectional view of the manipulation device shown in FIG. 19;

FIG. 21 is a cross-sectional view of the manipulation device shown in FIG. 20;

FIG. 22 is a longitudinal cross-sectional view of another embodiment of a dispenser;

FIG. 23 is a cross-sectional view of the manipulation device shown in FIG. 22;

FIG. 24 is an isometric view of another manipulation device;

FIG. 25 is an exploded view of the manipulation device shown in FIG. 24;

FIG. 26 is a cross-sectional view of the manipulation device shown in FIG. 24;

FIG. 27 is a cross-sectional view of the manipulation device shown in FIG. 26 according to intersection lines XXVII-XXVII; and

FIG. 28 illustrates a cross-sectional view of the manipulation device shown in FIG. 26 according to intersection lines XXVIII-XXVIII.

DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

Referring to the drawings in particular, FIGS. 1, 2 and 3 in an overall view illustrate a dispenser 20 which, as essential component, has a manipulation device 22 which is connected to a reservoir housing 21 and which combines a setting device 23 with an actuation device 24, wherein the setting device 23 and the actuation device 24 are each connected to the reservoir housing 21 relative to each other and so as to be rotatable about a longitudinal axis 25 of the dispenser 20 with respect to the reservoir housing 21.

As is illustrated in particular in FIGS. 2 and 3, the reservoir housing 21 essentially serves for receiving two reservoirs 26 and 27, which in the present case are formed in a cartridge-shaped manner and each contain a component of a viscous material, which in the case of the exemplary embodiment of the dispenser shown here is a lip care substance furnished with pigments, which is dispensed with the aid of a valve device 28 or 29 to a mixing device 30, each valve device being assigned to one reservoir and here arranged above the reservoirs 26, 27 in the reservoir housing 21, and is finally supplied from the mixing device to an applicator surface 32 via a common output device 31, from which surface the mixed components, in the case of the dispenser 20 that is formed as a lip cream applicator in the present case, can be applied to the lips of the user. For covering the applicator surface 32 when the dispenser 20 is not in use the reservoir housing 21 is equipped with an applicator cap 33.

As is illustrated in particular in FIG. 2, pumping devices 34, 35 are disposed at the lower end of the reservoirs 26, 27 and each exert an indirect pressure on the components received in the reservoirs 26, 27 by means of pumping pistons 36, 37 which are acted upon via one plunger 38, 39 respectively by a transmission element 40, which is a part of the setting device 23 of the manipulation device 22.

The manipulation device 22 shown in FIG. 2 and FIGS. 4 and 5 is connected to the reservoir housing 21 via a latching connection 41 shown in FIG. 2. The setting device 23 has an adjusting housing 43, the lower part thereof being formed as a guide section 44 for receiving the transmission element 40. The transmission element 40 in the present case is formed in a sleeve-like manner and has a contact surface 45 being formed of an annular design at the upper axial end of the transmission element and being equipped with a sequence of contact ledges 46 (FIG. 6) of an annular design, which in the present case are formed by bottoms 47 of blind bores 48 provided in the contact surface 45. The transmission element 40 at its outer wall has two guide pins 49 being diametrically opposed to each other and being each axially guided in a guide slot 50 formed in the guide section 44 of the adjusting housing 43 as an oblong hole.

As is apparent from a combined view of FIGS. 5, 7 and 10 the guide section 44 of the adjusting housing 43 at its lower end has a latching edge 52 adjacent to a bottom 51, which engages behind a latching web 55 formed on an inner wall 53 of an actuating housing 54 of the actuation device 24 for producing a latching connection 56 between the actuating housing 54 and the adjusting housing 43.

In the latched engagement between the actuating housing 54 and the adjusting housing 43, as is in particular shown in FIGS. 10 and 11, the transmission element 40 is guided with the aid of a central bearing sleeve 57 on a pin 58 formed at the bottom 51. The pin 58, in the case of the exemplary embodiment shown in FIG. 10, at its upper end is equipped with a stop 59, here formed as an axial retaining ring, which stop is arranged opposite to a bottom 60 of the bearing sleeve 57 and together with said bottom respectively forms an axial support for a helical spring 61 arranged on the pin 58. The embodiment shown in FIG. 10 thus enables an axial displacement of the transmission element 40 on the pin 58 counter to the compressive force generated in this process by the helical spring 61. In this axial displacement, the transmission element 40 is guided by the guide pins 49 in the guide slots 30 of the guide section 44 of the adjusting housing 43.

As is apparent from a comparison of FIGS. 10 and 12, which illustrate different cross-sectional views of the manipulation device 22, the blind bores 48 being arranged in the contact surface 45 of the transmission element 40 for forming the contact ledges 46 have different depths, so that the contact ledges formed by the bottoms 47 of the blind bores 48 are disposed at different levels with respect to a central contact plane 62. Differing herefrom, FIG. 12 illustrates contact ledges 46 being diametrically opposed to each other at a level differing from the level of the central contact surface plane 62, so that upon axial displacement of the transmission element 40 counter to the effect of the helical spring 61, when the plungers 38, 39 are contacted with the contact ledges 46, said plungers 38, 39 are axially deflected to different extents, with the consequence that the pumping pistons 36, 37 of the pumping devices 34, 35 equally execute different strokes.

In FIGS. 10 and 12 the transmission element 40 is shown in different cross-sectional views of the manipulation device 22 in its initial position, in which the helical spring 61 has its maximum possible relaxation and the guide pins 49 abut against the lower stop of the guide slots 50. For the axial displacement of the transmission element 40 in the guide section 44, the actuating housing 54 of the actuation device 24 on its inner wall is equipped with a guide path, in particular shown in FIG. 13, which here is formed as a guide web 63 having a contact contour 64 which abuts against the guide pins 49 of the transmission element 40 (FIG. 10), so that a relative movement of the actuating housing 54 of the actuation device 24 about the axis 25 with respect to the adjusting housing 43 of the setting device 23 causes an axial movement of the transmission element 40 corresponding to the course of the contact contour 64.

The contact contour 64 of the guide web 63 has an indentation 65 defining the initial position of the transmission element 40 such that corresponding to the contact contour 64 shown in FIG. 13, a relative movement of the actuating housing 54 about the longitudinal axis 25 in a clockwise direction causes the transmission element 40 to be axially moved upwardly along an upwards ramp 66. Upon reaching a ramp vertex 67, which is illustrated in FIG. 13 in dash-dotted lines, in response to the pretensioning force of the helical spring 61, the transmission element 40 is caused to move along an upwards ramp 68 back into a second indentation 69 which is diametrically opposed to the first indentation 65, wherein the actuating housing 54 has executed a rotation of 180° about the longitudinal axis 25.

In the axial forward movement of the transmission element 40 specified above in the adjusting housing 43 of the setting device 23, the adjusting housing 43 is disposed in a defined relative arrangement with respect to the reservoir housing 21, so that the rotational position of the transmission element 40 is not changed either with respect to the plungers 38, 39.

As already specified beforehand with reference to FIG. 10, the rotational position of the transmission element shown in FIG. 2, wherein the contact ledges 46 being diametrically opposed to each other are arranged at the same level, gives rise to a correspondingly identical axial displacement of the plungers 38, 39. As a consequence, the pumping devices 34, 35 each retrieve identical quantities from the reservoirs to be fed into the mixing device 30 and to be dispensed therefrom through the output device 31 to the applicator surface 32. For setting a different mixing ratio between the components received in the reservoirs 26, 27, the adjusting housing 43 of the setting device 23 can be rotated about the longitudinal axis 25 together with the actuating housing 54 of the actuation device 54 arranged thereon until axially flush contact ledges 46 are assigned to the plungers 38, 39, which ledges are disposed at different levels, as is for instance shown in FIG. 12, so that contacting of said contact ledges 46 in response to a subsequent forward movement of the transmission element against the plungers 38, 39 upon further rotation of the actuating housing 54 with respect to the adjusting housing 43 causes the plungers 38, 39 to be correspondingly deflected to different extents, with the further consequence that correspondingly different quantities of the components are retrieved from the reservoirs 26, 27 to be fed into the mixing device 30 and to be dispensed to the applicator surface 32.

FIGS. 14 and 15 in another embodiment show a manipulation device 70 which comprises a setting device 71 and an actuation device 72, which have an adjusting housing 73 and an actuating housing 74 as well as a transmission element 75, which compared to the adjusting housing 43, the actuating housing 54 and the transmission element 40 of the manipulation device 22 in particular shown in FIGS. 10 and 12, have modifications which will be explained hereinafter.

For defining an initial position of the actuation device 72, a latching pin 78 is provided in a guide section 76 of the adjusting housing 73 at the bottom 77, said latching pin at its axial end having a latching device 80 formed by elastically formed latching noses 79 and engaging behind an opening edge 81 of a central opening 82 in the transmission element 75.

For guiding guide pins, which are not shown in greater detail in the view according to FIG. 14 but which are identical to the guide pins 49 of the transmission element 40, in an inner wall 83 of the actuating housing 74 a guide path is formed as a guide groove 85 and has groove edges 86, 87 extending in parallel to each other and receiving the guide pins between them, so that both in the event of an upward movement and in the event of a downward movement of the transmission element 75 a reliable positive engagement is produced between the guide device of the actuating housing 74 formed by the guide groove 85 and the transmission element 75.

FIG. 16 illustrates a dispenser 88 which, analogous to the dispenser 20 shown in FIGS. 1 to 3, is equipped with a reservoir housing 21 which is equipped with a setting device 89 and an actuation device 90, which together form a manipulation device 91 and are arranged on a common longitudinal axis 25 with the reservoir housing 21.

The manipulation device 91 is illustrated in an exploded view in FIG. 17 and comprises an adjusting housing 92 of the setting device 89 and an actuating housing 93 of the actuation device 90. A comparison with the manipulation device 22 shown in FIG. 5 of the dispenser 20 illustrates that the adjusting housing 92 is equipped with a guide section 94 which, in contrast to the guide section 44 of the adjusting housing 43, is equipped with a guide slot 95, which at its lower end has a pin catch 96 being formed here as a recession. The pin catch 96 interacts with the guide pin 49 of the transmission element 40, which is guided in the guide slot 95, such that when the actuating housing 93 of the actuation device 90 is rotated in a clockwise direction, the transmission element 40 is moved upward on the longitudinal axis 25 by the guide web 63. By contrast, when the actuating housing 93 is rotated in an anti-clockwise direction, a translational upward movement of the transmission element 40 is blocked on the longitudinal axis 25 as a result of the retention of the guide pin 49 in the pin catch 96. The guide slot 95 of the adjusting housing 92 formed in this manner thus defines a direction of actuation and rotation for the actuation device 90.

The manipulation device 91 of the dispenser 88 further differs from the manipulation device 22 of the dispenser 20 in that it has a modularly formed latching device 97 which has two latching elements 98, 99 of an annular design, which are formed independently of one another and which are arranged between the reservoir housing 21 and the adjusting housing 92, such that the latching element 98 is connected in a rotationally fixed manner to the reservoir housing 21 via surface recessions 100, 101, into which projections 102, 103 of the reservoir housing 21 come into engagement. The latching element 99 has pawl projections 104, 105 via which the latching element 99 is connected to the adjusting housing 92 in a rotationally fixed manner. A latching engagement is produced between the latching element 98 and the latching element 99 with the aid of a toothed pawl section 106, 107 which is formed at the latching element 98 and at the latching element 99, respectively, and which enables a relative rotation of the latching elements 98, 99 in the embodiment shown in FIG. 17 with the aid of inclined tooth flanks 108 only in an anti-clockwise direction, so that in the embodiment shown in FIGS. 16 and 17 of the dispenser 88, the actuation device 90 can be actuated in a clockwise direction and the setting device 89 can be actuated in an anti-clockwise direction.

FIGS. 18 and 19 in another embodiment show a dispenser 110 with a manipulation device 120 which, in contrast to the previously explained dispenser 88, has a latching device 111 which has a latching axle 112 being connected to the reservoir housing 21 in a rotationally fixed manner and engaging with a hub formed as a latching sleeve 113 of a transmission element 114, thereby producing a latching engagement between a toothed latching section 115 formed on the outer circumference of the latching axle 112 and a toothed latching section 116 formed on the bore wall of the latching sleeve 113. The latching axle 112 is equipped with a disc-shaped axle base 117 which at its upper edge has projections 118, 119 for engagement with recessions (not shown here in greater detail) formed at the lower edge of the reservoir housing 21, and produces a rotationally fixed connection to the reservoir housing 21.

FIG. 21 illustrates a cross-sectional view of the manipulation device 120 shown in FIG. 20 having the latching axle 112 engaging with the latching sleeve 113 of the transmission element 114, wherein in the shown exemplary embodiment, the toothed latching section 115 of the latching axle 112 in the cross-section has symmetrically formed latching teeth 121 which come into engagement with the toothed latching section 116 of the transmission element 114 formed by latching grooves 122. Due to the symmetrical design of the latching teeth 121, the latching engagement between the latching axle 112 and the latching sleeve 113 enables a relative rotation both in a clockwise direction and in an anti-clockwise direction.

In contrast hereto, a latching axle 123 shown in FIG. 23 has a toothed latching section 124 having latching teeth 125 which are formed in a pawl-like manner and with inclined tooth flanks 126, which enable a relative rotation between the adjusting housing 43 (FIG. 19) and the reservoir housing 21 (see FIG. 18) only in an anti-clockwise direction by the latching grooves 122 of the toothed latching section 116 of the transmission element 114.

FIGS. 24 to 26 show another embodiment of a manipulation device 130 which, just like the manipulation devices 22, 42, 70, 91 and 120 already described before, can be combined with the reservoir housing 21, wherein in contrast to the manipulation devices 22, 42, 70, 91 and 120 already described before, the manipulation device 130 has a guide section 132 being formed independently of an adjusting housing 131 and being formed as a guide housing and being connected in a rotationally fixed manner to the reservoir housing 21 via a fastening ring 133 formed at the upper end thereof by means of a latching connection 134.

As is apparent in particular from a combined view of FIGS. 25 and 26, the guide section 132 is equipped with guide slots 135 in which a guide pin 136 of a pin arrangement being formed as a guide ring 137 is each received so as to be axially guided therein.

Furthermore, in particular FIG. 25 illustrates that a latching engagement 138 is produced at the lower end of the guide section 132 between the guide section 132 and an actuating housing 139 of an actuation device 162 being arranged on the guide section 132 so as to be rotatable. The actuating housing 139 on its inner wall 140 has a guide web 141 having a contact contour 142 being formed with a defined gradient, such that when the actuating housing 139 is relatively rotated on the guide section 132, the guide pins 136 slide along the contact contour 142 and thereby execute an axial movement in the guide slots 135 of the guide section 132, said axial movement being directed either upwardly or downwardly as a function of the direction of rotation of the actuating housing 139 and resulting in the guide ring 137 executing a corresponding upward or downward movement.

Provision is made for a helical spring 148 on a pin 144 being formed at a bottom 143 of the guide section 132, said helical spring with one end thereof being supported against a bottom 145 of a transmission element 146 received in the guide section 132 and with the other end thereof being supported against a stop 147 arranged on the pin 144. The helical spring 148 thus provides for the transmission element 146 abutting against the guide ring 137, wherein a cup-shaped projection 149 of the transmission element 146 engages with a ring opening 150 of the guide ring 137 (FIG. 25). At the same time, the helical spring ensures that the guide pins 136 of the guide ring 137 in a defined manner rest on the contact contour irrespective of the guide ring 137 executing either an upward movement or a downward movement in the guide section 132.

As is in particular apparent from a combined view of FIGS. 26 and 27, in the manipulation device 130 a setting device 161, which serves for the defined setting and rotation of the transmission element 146 on the longitudinal axis 25 of the manipulation device 130, is composed of several parts and in addition to the adjusting housing 131 being formed of an annular or sleeve design here comprises a setting sleeve 151 which is arranged concentrically with respect to the adjusting housing 131 inside the guide section 132. The setting sleeve 151 is equipped with a setting pin 152 which protrudes radially outwardly and penetrates through a setting groove 153 being formed in the guide section 132, and upon engagement with a guide pocket 155 formed on an inner wall 154 of the adjusting housing 131, produces a rotationally fixed connection to the adjusting housing 131, such that when the adjusting housing 131 is rotated about the longitudinal axis 25 of the manipulation device 130, the setting sleeve 151 is forced to rotate as well. In this manner, the radial travel path being traveled by the setting pin 152 is limited by radial stops 156, 157 which are defined by the setting groove 153. As is apparent in particular from a combined view of FIGS. 25 and 27, the transmission element 146 on its inner wall is equipped with a contact surface 159 having contact ledges 170 in a ring segment 160, which are arranged in a longitudinal direction along the circumference in both directions so as to ascend starting from a low positioned central contact ledge 170 defining a central position.

As is illustrated in particular in FIG. 25, the transmission element 146 at its outer wall 172 has follower projections 173 engaging with follower receptacles 175 formed on an inner wall 174 of the setting sleeve 151. By means of this aspect, the transmission element 146 is axially displaceable within the setting sleeve 151 and is received in the setting sleeve 151 in a rotationally fixed manner with respect to the longitudinal axis 25 of the manipulation device 130, such that when the outer adjusting 131 housing is rotated about the longitudinal axis 25, the transmission element 146 executes a corresponding rotation about the longitudinal axis 25 as well.

For the purpose of the defined relative arrangement of the adjusting housing 131, the transmission element 146 and the guide section 132 being connected in a rotationally fixed manner to the reservoir housing 21, a latching device 171 shown in FIG. 28 is provided between the setting sleeve 151 and the guide section 132, such that a latching nose 176 being formed at the outer wall of the setting sleeve 151 interacts with a plurality of latching catches 178 being formed along the circumference in the inner wall of the guide section 132, wherein by overcoming a rotational resistance, which determines a defined latching position, a change can be made between the setting sleeve 151 and the guide section from a defined rotational position, in which the latching nose 176 engages with a first latching catch 178, into another defined rotational position, in which the latching nose 176 engages with another latching catch 178.

Due to the advantageous guiding and receiving of the transmission element 146 in the guide ring 137, during the axial displacement of the guide ring 137 within the guide section 132 in response to a rotation of the actuating housing 139 with respect to the guide section 132 being arranged at the reservoir housing 139 in a rotationally fixed manner, a torque is not transmitted to the transmission element 146, so that a torque of the transmission element 146 cannot act on the plungers 38, 39 of the pumping devices 34, 35 for instance shown in FIG. 2, which may give rise to component failure of the plungers 38, 39.

While specific embodiments of the invention have been shown and described in detail to illustrate the application of the principles of the invention, it will be understood that the invention may be embodied otherwise without departing from such principles.

Claims

1. A dispenser for the dosed dispensing of at least two components, the dispenser comprising: two reservoirs, the components being received in one reservoir, of the two reservoirs, respectively;an output device connected to the reservoirs;an actuation device for dispensing the components from the output device;two pumping devices wherein a separate pumping device, of the two pumping devices, is assigned to each reservoir and the pumping devices are equipped with the actuation device for dispensing the components from an output device which is connected to the reservoirs;a transmission element; anda dosing device, wherein the actuation device acts on the pumping devices indirectly via the dosing device and the dosing device comprises a setting device which can be actuated to change a position of the transmission element acting on the pumping devices for setting the quantity ratio of the components, wherein both the setting device for setting the quantity ratio of the components and the actuation device for dispensing the components from the output device, for the purpose of actuation, are rotatable about a longitudinal axis of the dispenser.

2. A dispenser according to claim 1, further comprising a reservoir housing, wherein the setting device of the dosing device has an adjusting housing which can be rotated about the longitudinal axis of the reservoir housing, in which the reservoirs for receiving the components and the pumping devices are received, and the transmission element is arranged in the adjusting housing in a rotationally fixed manner with respect to the adjusting housing and axially displaceable with respect to a longitudinal axis of the adjusting housing for actuating the pumping device, wherein the transmission element has a contact surface that is of an annular design or formed as a ring segment which contact surface has a surface contour changing in shape along a circumference thereof and interacting with pumping pistons of the pumping devices.

3. A dispenser according to claim 2, wherein the actuation device for dispensing the components has an actuating housing which can be rotated about the longitudinal axis of the dispenser relative to the adjusting housing, said actuating housing comprising a guide arrangement to enable the axial displacement of the transmission element, wherein a first guide device of the guide arrangement, which is formed in the actuating housing, interacts with a second guide device of the guide arrangement, which is formed independently of the actuating housing, for converting a rotary movement of the actuating housing into an axial movement of the transmission element.

4. A dispenser according to claim 3, wherein the second guide device has a guide section having an axially oriented guide slot and a pin arrangement positioned at the transmission element with at least one radial guide pin which penetrates through the guide slot and with its contact end interacts with the first guide device of the actuating housing.

5. A dispenser according to claim 4, wherein the transmission element has a guide pin and the actuating housing has an inner wall, forming the first guide device, coaxially arranged with respect to the guide section and having a guide path having a contact contour interacting with a contact end of the guide pin and controlling the axial movement of the transmission element.

6. A dispenser according to claim 4, wherein the axially oriented guide slot formed in the guide section at its lower end has a pin catch for receiving the radial guide pin to define a direction of rotation of the actuation device.

7. A dispenser according to claim 4, wherein an initial position of the actuation device, in which the pumping devices are not acted upon by the transmission element, is defined by a spring device arranged between a stop formed at the guide section and the transmission element.

8. A dispenser according to claim 7, wherein the stop is formed at an axial end of a pin formed at a bottom of the guide section and extending through an opening formed in a bottom of a central cup-shaped indentation of the transmission element, and the spring device is formed as a helical spring arranged in an annular space formed between the pin and the indentation and which extends between the stop and the bottom.

9. A dispenser according to claim 1, wherein an initial position of the actuation device, in which the pumping devices are not acted upon by the transmission element, is defined by a latching device arranged at an axial end of a latching pin, which is arranged in the guide section, which latching device, with the transmission element being disposed in the initial position, engages behind an edge of a central opening in the transmission element.

10. A dispenser according to claim 5, wherein the guide path arranged in the inner wall of the actuating housing is formed as a guide groove with groove edges, which run in parallel to one another, receiving the guide pin between them.

11. A dispenser according to claim 3, wherein for forming the second guide device the guide section is formed by the adjusting housing and the pin arrangement with the at least one guide pin is formed at the transmission element, such that when the adjusting housing is rotated, the transmission element is correspondingly rotated as well.

12. A dispenser according to claim 3, wherein a relative arrangement of the adjusting housing with respect to the reservoir housing, is defined by a latching device formed between the adjusting housing and the reservoir housing, which latching device has a plurality of latching positions for a defined assignment of contact regions of the transmission element being formed on the contact surface, and plungers acting on pumping pistons of the pumping devices.

13. A dispenser according to claim 12, wherein the latching device comprises a modular latching unit which can be inserted between the reservoir housing and the adjusting housing and which can be actuated as a function of the direction of rotation with respect to the reservoir housing to enable the relative rotation of the adjusting housing.

14. A dispenser according to claim 13, wherein the latching unit has a first latching element of an annular design which can be connected to the reservoir housing in a rotationally fixed manner, and a second latching element of an annular design, which can be connected to the adjusting housing in a rotationally fixed manner, wherein the latching elements interact with one another via a latching engagement which is produced in a common annular plane with the aid of latching projections, said latching projections being formed by a toothed pawl section.

15. A dispenser according to claim 14, wherein one of the two latching elements has the toothed pawl section only in a ring segment.

16. A dispenser according to claim 12, wherein the latching device has a latching axle which is connected to the reservoir housing and which engages with a hub of the transmission element, the hub being formed as a latching sleeve to produce a latching engagement.

17. A dispenser according to claim 16, wherein latching projections are formed on the circumference of the latching axle and interact with latching projections formed on a bore wall of the latching sleeve to produce the latching engagement.

18. A dispenser according to claim 17, wherein the latching projections are formed by a toothed pawl section.

19. A dispenser according to claim 3, wherein for forming the second guide device, the guide section is connected to the reservoir housing in a rotationally fixed manner, the pin arrangement being formed as a guide ring having at least one guide pin and the transmission element being received in the guide ring so as to be rotatable and being connected to the adjusting housing in a rotationally fixed manner by means of a radial engagement device, such that when the adjusting housing is rotated, a relative rotation with respect to the guide section is effected by the same as well.

20. A dispenser according to claim 19, wherein the engagement device has a setting sleeve in which the transmission element is received in a rotationally fixed manner and so as to be axially displaceable, wherein the setting sleeve produces an engaging connection to the adjusting housing via a setting pin which penetrates radially through the guide section in a setting groove.

21. A dispenser according to claim 20, wherein a defined relative arrangement of the adjusting housing is provided via a latching device formed between the setting sleeve and the guide section, which latching device has a plurality of latching positions for a defined assignment of contact regions of the transmission element being formed on the contact surface, and plungers acting on pumping pistons of the pumping devices.

22. A dispenser according to claim 2, wherein contact regions are formed on the contact surface of the transmission element by contact ledges which are arranged in a stepped sequence.

23. A dispenser according to claim 22, wherein the contact ledges are formed by blind bores which are arranged in a horizontal surface of the transmission element.