The present invention relates to a pump head that enables a metered dispensing of fluids. The present invention also relates to a metering apparatus that can, for example, be configured as a squeeze bottle, wherein the metering apparatus comprises a pump head in accordance with the invention.
Metering systems are known from the prior art such as squeeze bottles, non-airless systems or airless systems. These systems are characterized by a portioned metering of fluid to be dispensed or by a continuous dispensing of fluid on application of a corresponding pressure on the metering apparatus.
It is, however, still disadvantageous, in particular with squeeze bottles, that a metered dispensing of liquids is not possible. As long as a user exerts pressure on the squeeze bottle, it will dispense the fluid to be metered. On a careless handling, for example on application of excessive pressure on the squeeze bottle by the user, this can have the result that too much liquid is unintentionally discharged from a corresponding metering apparatus.
It is therefore the object of the present invention to provide a pump head, in particular for a squeeze bottle metering system, with which a metered dispensing of the contained fluid is made possible from a metering apparatus, in particular from a squeeze bottle provided with a pump head.
This object is achieved with respect to a pump head by the features of claim 1 and with respect to a metering apparatus by the features of claim 19. The respective dependent claims in this respect set forth advantageous further developments.
The present invention thus relates to a pump head for a metering apparatus for a metered dispensing of a fluid comprising a head part (“head base”) having an outlet opening for the fluid to be dispensed; a (second) element 60 that has a cut-out, a wall bounding the cut-out at one side, and a passage opening introduced into the wall that brings the cut-out directly or indirectly into fluidic communication with the outlet opening of the head part, with the second element 60 being directly or indirectly connected to the head part in the direction of the wall; and a hollow piston having a passage channel that is fit into place in the cutout and is movably guidable up to the wall in the cut-out, with the passage channel being arranged in the hollow piston such that the passage opening is closable by the hollow piston on a movement of the hollow piston in the direction of the wall.
The present invention thus provides that the hollow piston that is located in the second element 60 is movably guided. A volume is thus defined by the hollow piston in the cut-out of the second element 60 that can be reduced on a movement of the hollow piston (by application of pressure of the fluid to be dispensed). The fluid located within this volume is thereby dispensed through the passage opening of the second element in the direction of the outlet opening and thus to the outside. However, in its final position at the end of the metering procedure, the hollow piston closes the passage opening of the second element so that an automatic end of the metering procedure takes place. The pump head of the present invention thus makes a metered dispensing of the fluid possible. In this respect, only the liquid volume is dispensed that is located in a storage position in the cut-out of the element.
The outlet opening can be configured here so that the fluid can be dispensed by means of the pump head in the form of drops or in the form of a spray.
A preferred embodiment provides that the cut-out and the hollow piston are cylindrical.
A further preferred embodiment provides that the passage channel ends in the direction of the wall in an aperture arranged concentrically or eccentrically with respect to an axial projection of the hollow piston and/or that the passage channel is guided in a straight line and concentrically or eccentrically with respect to an axial projection of the hollow piston, and that the passage opening is arranged offset with respect to the aperture.
It is furthermore of advantage if the second element 60 comprises at least one means for fixing to a storage vessel, in particular a latch connection, a snap-in connection, or a thread.
On a direct connection of the head part to the second element 60, the head part and the element can comprise means for a direct connection, e.g. a latch connection, a snap-in connection, or a thread.
A further preferred embodiment provides that the head part and the element 60 are indirectly connected to one another, with the head part having an inner surface;
that an elastic valve is incorporated that at least regionally has a geometrical configuration corresponding to the inner surface of the head part (10);
and that an element (“liner”) is incorporated that has a passage opening for the fluid to be dispensed via which an inflow of the fluid between the head part and the elastic valve is made possible while deforming the elastic valve while forming an intermediate space between the elastic valve and the head part (actuation state (B)),
wherein the head part and the element are connected with shape matching and a force fit while enclosing the elastic seal between the head part and the element and the elastic valve lies over the full area with a shape match on the inner surface of the head part in a storage state A of the pump head so that a fluidic seal between the head part and the element is ensured; and
wherein the element is connected at its end remote from the elastic seal to the element 60.
In accordance with this preferred embodiment, the head part and the elastic valve are thus matched to one another. The elastic valve here lies on the inner surface of the head part so that a complete closure of the outlet opening is ensured. Due to the fact that the elastic valve is at least regionally elastic, the elastic valve lies over its full area on the inner surface of the head part so that no remaining intermediate space is left between the head part and the elastic valve in the storage state. All the liquid to be metered is thus output from the pump head via the outlet opening at the end of the metering process, i.e. when the pump head returns from an actuation state into a storage state.
A preferred embodiment provides that the elastic valve comprises a head and an elastic wall, wherein the head has a geometrical configuration corresponding to the inner surface of the head part and the elastic wall is deformable.
In accordance with this preferred embodiment, the wall of the elastic valve is in particular elastic, whereas the head can be rigid and is thus directly adapted to the configuration of the inner surface of the head part. A secure engagement of the head of the elastic valve in the inner surface of the head part is thus ensured in the region of the outlet opening.
It is further preferred here that the elastic wall has at least one desired kink point at which the elastic wall kinks down or in on a movement from the storage state (A) to the actuation state (B).
The wall of the elastic valve can be configured, for example, in the form of bellows. The wall of the elastic valve thus kinks at the desired kink points in the operating state, whereas a stretching of the wall takes place in the storage state so that the wall equally lies on the inner surface of the head part.
It is in particular advantageous in this respect if the elastic wall is formed from a film of an elastically deformable material, in particular from a thermoplastic, rubber and/or silicone, preferably having a thickness of 0.03 to 1 mm, preferably 0.08 to 0.5 mm, particularly preferably 0.20 to 0.30 mm, and/or the head is configured massive.
The head of the elastic valve can preferably be formed from the same material as the elastic wall. The head and the elastic wall are in particular formed in one piece and are in particular manufactured simultaneously by an injection molding process.
In a further preferred embodiment, the elastic valve has at least one fixing member via which the elastic valve is connected with force-fit to at least one corresponding fixing element of the first element 40, with the fixing member of the elastic valve and the fixing member of the first element 40 preferably being configured as a latch connection or a snap-in connection.
It is further preferred if the first element 40 has a wall that terminates the intermediate space, with a fluidic communication of the intermediate space with a region disposed at the other side of the wall, viewed from the intermediate space, being made possible via the passage opening.
In accordance with this embodiment, separate regions can be formed within the pump head via which a reliable metering of the liquid is possible.
In accordance with a further preferred embodiment, provision is made that the passage opening is led directly from the region through the wall and opens into the region or is led through a lateral wall of the first element 40 in the region and is guided at an outer surface of the first element 40 in a notch that can be bounded by the element and is again led in the region through the lateral wall of the first element 40 and opens into the region.
In particular the last-named possibility, according to which a notch is provided in the outer surface of the element, makes possible a preferred guidance of the fluid in the intermediate space between the head part and the elastic valve.
It is particularly preferred here that a member that exerts a return force on the elastic valve is arranged between the elastic valve and the first element 40, with the return force having the effect that the intermediate space formed in the actuation state B is closed while returning to the storage state A. The member is in particular a spring.
It is further advantageous in this respect that the first element 40 is connected at its end remote from the elastic seal to a (second) element 60 via which the pump head (I) is connectable to a storage vessel (II) for storing the fluid to be dispensed.
It is in particular of advantage here if at least one means for the sterile filtration of incoming air is present between the first element 40 and the second element 60 (non-airless system), in particular a bacterial filter, or the first element 40.
The pump head configured for non-airless systems can here in particular be used with squeeze bottles or corresponding metering apparatus having a pump head.
A passive actuation of the pump head takes place here with squeeze bottles since the fluidic pressure takes place by actuation of the squeeze bottle connected to the pump head.
The first element 40 can here be fixed with respect to the second element 60. This embodiment is in particular advantageous for metering apparatus that comprise a squeeze bottle.
A further preferred embodiment provides that when the pump head is connected to the storage vessel via the element 60, a seal is arranged between the element 60 and the storage vessel.
The head part can preferably contain an antibacterial material, preferably metals or metal ions, and can in particular contain silver particles or silver ions. The head part is in particular manufacturable in an injection molding process, with an antibacterial material in particular being able to be directly compounded with the thermoplastic material that is used to manufacture the injected molded part.
The invention also relates to a metering apparatus that comprises a pump head as described above. The pump head is connected to a storage vessel.
The storage vessel can preferably be configured as a squeeze bottle.
The pump head is in particular suitable for non-airless systems, in particular for metering apparatus that have a squeeze bottle. Solutions containing preserving agents can preferably be stored in such metering apparatus, but in particular solutions free of preserving agents.
The present invention will be described in more detail with reference to the enclosed Figures without restricting the invention to the specifically shown embodiments.
The pump head I is in this respect formed from a head part 10 that can be placed on a second element 60. The fluid can, for example, exit the metering apparatus in drop form via the outlet opening 11 provided in the head part 10. The element 60 here has a cut-out 61 in which a movably guidable hollow piston 70 is fit into place. The element 60 is bounded by a wall 62 with respect to the head part 10. The piston 70 has a passage channel 71 that is arranged centrally in the piston in the case shown by way of example in
If now, as shown in
The element 60 has a wall 62 that is attached at the head side and into which an eccentric transit opening 63 is inserted. The element 60 is here inserted so far into the element 40 that the wall 62 in not directly terminated by the wall 42 of the element 40, but rather that a remaining intermediate region 40-60 is maintained and the transit opening 41 that is arranged in the lower part of the element 40 thus remains open. In the exemplary case of the pump head I in accordance with
Number | Date | Country | Kind |
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10 2016 212 893.0 | Jul 2016 | DE | national |
Filing Document | Filing Date | Country | Kind |
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PCT/EP2017/063342 | 6/1/2017 | WO | 00 |