Claims
- 1. A liquid dispenser comprising:
a container including an opening for receiving a liquid; and a dispenser subassembly including an outlet and a closing member cooperating with the outlet, said closing member being movable between a first closed position whereby the closing member engages the container opening and a second open position whereby the closing member is remote from the container opening, wherein at least part of the dispensing subassembly is preformed on the container and the remaining part of the dispenser subassembly is connectable therewith.
- 2. The liquid dispenser as claimed in claim 1, wherein said container includes a neck at the container opening and the at least part of the dispenser subassembly is preformed on the neck.
- 3. The liquid dispenser as claimed in claim 2, wherein the neck is integrally connected with the container.
- 4. The liquid dispenser as claimed in claim 2, wherein the part of the dispenser subassembly preformed on the neck includes a retaining element for holding the closing member in the first closed position or the second open position.
- 5. The liquid dispenser as claimed in claim 2, wherein the part of the dispensing head preformed on the neck includes a biasing element for urging the closing member into the first closed position or the second open position.
- 6. The liquid dispenser as claimed in claim 5, wherein the biasing element includes at least one spring connected to the container.
- 7. The liquid dispenser as claimed in claim 2, wherein the remaining part of the dispenser subassembly includes a snap coupling adapted for being connected to the neck of the container.
- 8. The liquid dispenser as claimed in claim 2, wherein the remaining part of the dispenser subassembly includes a snap coupling connectable with the part of the dispenser subassembly preformed on the container.
- 9. The liquid dispenser as claimed in claim 2, wherein the dispensing head includes a pump disposed between the container and the outlet of the dispenser subassembly.
- 10. The liquid dispenser as claimed in claim 1, further comprising a handle connected with the container.
- 11. The liquid dispenser as claimed in claim 10, wherein the handle is integrally connected with the container.
- 12. A method of making a liquid dispenser including a container and a dispenser subassembly comprising:
forming the container; forming at least part of the dispenser subassembly connected with the container; forming a remaining part of the dispenser subasembly having an outlet and a closing member; filling the container with a liquid; and assembling the remaining part of the dispenser subassembly with the container.
- 13. The method as claimed in claim 12, wherein the container includes a neck and the part of the dispenser subassembly formed on the container is formed on the neck.
- 14. The method as claimed in claim 13, wherein the neck is integrally connected with the container.
- 15. The method as claimed in claim 12, wherein the forming the container step comprises injection molding a container preform and blow molding the container preform into a container having a predetermined shape.
- 16. The method as claimed in claim 15, wherein the container comprises a resiliently deformable thermoplastic material.
- 17. The method as claimed in claim 12, further comprising suspending the container above a surface when filling the container with the liquid.
- 18. An actuating element for a liquid dispenser including a dispenser subassembly having a pump and a container having an opening, the actuating element comprising:
at least one resilent shaft having a first end connected to said container and a second free end remote therefrom, wherein the actuating element engages the dispenser subassembly and cooperates with the dispenser subassembly for operating the pump.
- 19. A housing for a liquid dispenser comprising:
an inlet and an outlet; a pump chamber between the inlet and the outlet, said pump chamber having a central axis; and a valve chamber between the pump chamber and the outlet, said valve chamber being in fluid communication with the pump chamber and having a central axis, wherein the central axis of said pump chamber is not in alignment with the central axis of said valve chamber.
- 20. The housing for a liquid dispenser as claimed in claim 19, wherein the central axes of the pump chamber and the valve chamber are substantially parallel to one another.
- 21. A housing for a liquid dispenser comprising:
a pump chamber for pumping a liquid through said housing; a valve chamber in fluid communication with said pump chamber, said valve chamber having a valve seat and an opening extending therethrough; and a discharge conduit in communication with said valve chamber, wherein said discharge conduit has a longitudinal axis in alignment with the opening in the valve seat and wherein said valve chamber and said pump chamber are not in alignment with one another.
- 22. The housing as claimed in claim 21, wherein said pump chamber has a central axis and said valve chamber has a central axis substantially parallel to the central axis of said pump chamber.
- 23. The housing as claimed in claim 22, wherein the central axes of said pump chamber, said valve chamber and said discharge conduit are substantially parallel to one another.
- 24. A container for a liquid dispenser comprising:
a body including an interior volume for holding a liquid; an opening formed at an upper end of the body, the opening being adapted for receiving a dispenser subassembly having an inlet, an outlet, and a pump movable between first and second positions for drawing the liquid through the inlet and discharging the liquid through the outlet; and said container including an actuating element engagable with the dispenser subassembly when the dispenser subassembly is secured within the opening, wherein engagement of the actuating element with the dispenser subassembly is a prerequisite for operating said pump.
- 25. A liquid dispenser for dispensing of a precise dose of a liquid comprising:
a container for storing the liquid, said container including an opening for filling and dispensing the liquid and a dosing chamber integrally formed with the container; a feed member in fluid communication with the container, said feed member having at least one outlet opening; and a dosing member forming a fluid tight connection with the feed member and having at least one outlet opening debauching in the dosing chamber, wherein the feed member and the dosing member are rotatable relative to each other in order to determine one or more precise doses of the liquid.
- 26. The liquid dispenser of claim 25, wherein the container and the dosing chamber integrally connected thereto define a preform having a substantially test tube shape.
- 27. The liquid dispenser as claimed in claim 25, wherein the container and the dosing chamber integrally connected thereto are preformed by injection molding.
- 28. The liquid dispenser as claimed in claim 26, wherein the preform is blow molded into a container having a predetermined size and shape.
- 29. The liquid dispenser as claimed in claim 25, wherein the dosing member is fixed in the dosing chamber and the feed member is rotatably connected with the dosing chamber.
- 30. The liquid dispenser as claimed in claim 29, wherein the dosing member is mounted on a bottom of the dosing chamber.
- 31. The liquid dispenser as claimed in claim 30, wherein the dosing member is integrally formed with the bottom of the dosing chamber.
- 32. The liquid dispenser as claimed in claim 25, wherein the feed member is connected to a cover adapted for at least partly closing the dosing chamber.
- 33. The liquid dispenser as claimed in claim 32, wherein the feed member is integrally formed with the cover.
- 34. The liquid dispenser as claimed in claim 32, wherein the dosing chamber has at least one outlet opening and the cover is snap-fit atop the dosing chamber.
- 35. The liquid dispenser as claimed in claim 32, wherein the cover includes at least one venting aperture for selectively venting the dosing chamber to atmosphere.
- 36. The liquid dispenser as claimed in claim 35, said dosing chamber including a cammed surface engagable with the at least one venting aperture for closing the at least one venting aperture, wherein the cover is rotatable for selectively opening and closing the at least one venting aperture.
- 37. A method of priming a liquid dispenser during final assembly thereof comprising:
providing a dispenser subassembly having an inlet, an outlet, and a pump in fluid communication with the inlet and the outlet, said pump being movable between a first position and a second position; providing a container having an opening for receiving a liquid and an actuating element connected thereto, said actuating element being engagable with said dispenser subassembly when said dispenser subassembly and said container are assembled together; positioning the pump of said dispenser subassembly in the second position; assembling said dispenser subassembly with said container; and during the assembling step, engaging the dispenser subassembly with the actuating element for moving the pump into the first pump position so as to draw the liquid into the pump
- 38. The method as claimed in claim 37, further comprising filling the container with a liquid before assembling said dispenser subassembly with said container, wherein the assembling step includes placing the inlet in fluid communication with the liquid in said container.
- 39. The method as claimed in claim 37, wherein the providing a container includes integrally connecting the actuating element to said container.
- 40. The method as claimed in claim 39, wherein the actuating element includes a biasing element.
- 41. The method as claimed in claim 40, wherein the biasing element includes a spring.
- 42. The method as claimed in claim 41, wherein the dispenser subassembly includes a movable element in contact with the pump for moving the pump between the first and second pump positions, wherein the actuating element engages the movable element during the assembly step for moving the pump from the second pump position to the first pump position.
- 43. The method as claimed in claim 42, wherein the movable element includes a trigger.
- 44. A method of priming a liquid dispenser during assembly thereof:
providing a dispenser subssembly having an inlet, an outlet and a pump movable between a first position and a second position; providing a container including an opening for receiving a liquid, said container including an actuating element connected thereto; assembling said dispenser subassembly with said container; and during the assembling step, engaging the pump with the actuating element, wherein the actuating element moves the pump into one of the first or the second pump positions for priming said liquid dispenser.
- 45. A method of assembling a liquid dispenser comprising:
providing a dispenser subassembly including a liquid inlet, a liquid outlet and a pump in fluid communication with the inlet and the outlet, said pump being movable between a first position and a second position; providing a container including an opening and an actuating element connected to the container; assembling said container and said dispenser subassembly together so that at least a portion of said dispenser subassembly is secured in the container opening; and during the assembling step, engaging the dispenser subassembly with the actuating element, wherein said actuating element cooperates with said dispenser subassembly for operating said pump and dispensing liquid from said dispenser.
- 46. The method as claimed in claim 45, further comprising:
before the assembling step, forming the container into a predetermined shape and filling the container with a liquid.
- 47. The method as claimed in claim 45, wherein said pump includes a pump chamber and a piston movable therein between the first and second pump positions.
- 48. The method claimed in claim 47, wherein the actuating element includes a biasing element integrally connected with said container.
- 49. The method as claimed in claim 48, wherein the biasing element and the container comprise a resilient thermoplastic material.
- 50. The method as claimed in claim 45, wherein providing the container includes injection molding a preform.
- 51. The method as claimed in claim 45, wherein providing the container includes injection molding a resiliently deformable thermoplastic material to form a preform.
- 52. A method of charging a liquid dispenser during assembly thereof comprising: providing a container having an opening at an upper end thereof; filling the container with a liquid;
providing a dispenser subassembly including a liquid inlet, a liquid outlet and a pump in communication with the inlet and the outlet, said pump being movable between a first position and a second position; positioning the pump in the second position; securing the dispenser subassembly at least partially in the container opening so that the inlet is in fluid communication with the liquid within the container and so that the actuating element engages the dispenser subassembly, wherein the actuating element cooperates with the dispenser subassembly for moving the pump from the second position to the first position for drawing the liquid through the inlet and into the pump.
Priority Claims (7)
Number |
Date |
Country |
Kind |
NL 1011962 |
May 1999 |
NL |
|
NL 1011477 |
Mar 1999 |
NL |
|
NL 1013139 |
Sep 1999 |
NL |
|
NL 1011964 |
May 1999 |
NL |
|
NL 1011479 |
Mar 1999 |
NL |
|
NL 1010778 |
Dec 1998 |
NL |
|
NL 1010777 |
Dec 1998 |
NL |
|
CROSS REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS
[0001] The present application is a divisional of U.S. patent application Ser. No. 09/459,034 filed Dec. 10, 1999, now allowed, which claims benefit under 35 U.S.C. Section 119 of Netherlands patent application Nos. 1010778 filed Dec. 10, 1998, 1010777 filed Dec. 10, 1998; 1011962 filed May 4, 1999; 1011964 filed May 5, 1999; 1011477 filed Mar. 5, 1999; 1011479 filed Mar. 6, 1999; and 1013139 filed Sep. 24, 1999. The 09/459,034 application also claims benefit under 35 U.S.C. Section 119 of the following U.S. Provisional Applications: 60/123,045 entitled “Precompression System” filed Mar. 5, 1999; 60/124,807 entitled “Precompression System II” filed Mar. 17, 1999; 60/123,222 entitled “Combination of a Sprayer Head and a Fluid Container and the Method of Manufacturing the Sprayer Head and the Fluid Container” filed Mar. 8, 1999; 60/133,339 entitled “Metering Device and Method of Manufacturing Same” filed May 10, 1999; and 60/133,961 entitled “Dosing Device for a Fluid” filed May 13, 1999. The disclosures of U.S. Provisional Applications 60/123,045; 60/124,807; 60/123,222; 60/133,339 and 60/133,961 are hereby incorporated by reference herein.
Provisional Applications (5)
|
Number |
Date |
Country |
|
60123045 |
Mar 1999 |
US |
|
60124807 |
Mar 1999 |
US |
|
60123222 |
Mar 1999 |
US |
|
60133339 |
May 1999 |
US |
|
60133961 |
May 1999 |
US |
Divisions (1)
|
Number |
Date |
Country |
Parent |
09459034 |
Dec 1999 |
US |
Child |
10028488 |
Dec 2001 |
US |