Classifications

• • A—HUMAN NECESSITIES
  • A47—FURNITURE; DOMESTIC ARTICLES OR APPLIANCES; COFFEE MILLS; SPICE MILLS; SUCTION CLEANERS IN GENERAL
  • A47K—SANITARY EQUIPMENT NOT OTHERWISE PROVIDED FOR; TOILET ACCESSORIES
  • A47K5/00—Holders or dispensers for soap, toothpaste, or the like
  • A47K5/06—Dispensers for soap
  • A47K5/12—Dispensers for soap for liquid or pasty soap
  • A47K5/122—Dispensers for soap for liquid or pasty soap using squeeze bottles or the like

Definitions

• the present invention relates to a refill dispenser for use in the discharge of a fluid product from a soft package body, said package body constituting a disposable package and being in the form of a bag or the like, which package body is enclosed by a dispenser and provided with a lip opening at its one end and with a securing area at its other end.
• the dispenser is integral with an apparatus intended for permanent mounting on a wall, the dispenser and the apparatus are difficult to clean
• the apparatus is made of a solid material for contai- ning the bag which holds a fluid product, the dispenser constitutes a small portion of the apparatus assembly, and the bag with the product which is desired to be discharged is to be influenced by gravity in a particu- lar direction.
• a dispenser of the type described in the introductory part which is characterized in that said dispenser consists of a pumping means having an integral valve, a holding means that cooperates with a fixation element having means to secure the securing area of the package body, and that the fixation element is provided with at least one through-going notch.
• the dispenser encloses the entire package element which holds the fluid product whereby the overall physical extent of the dispenser is minimized since the need to incorporate an actual appara- tus for containing the package body is thus eliminated. Since the dispenser encloses the entire package body and the package body being disposable, the dispenser may be refilled substantially without cleaning. It should be understood that hereby it is also possible to use the dispenser for several different products provided the physical appearances of the package bodies are identical.
• the dispenser being provided with a valve that squeezes the lip opening of the package body, the dispenser with the package body is capable of operating independently of gravity. This is due to the fact that the valve influences the lip opening on the package body in such a manner that air is prevented from entering the package body. Thereby the dispenser discharges only a portion of the fluid product when exposed to any compression force.
• a dispenser of the type described above may be used for a wide variety of products, such as ketchup, mustard, dres ⁇ sings, edible oil, vegetable fat, processed cheese, cream, various types of milk, soap, shampoo, toothpaste, cosmetics, lubricating oil, abrasives and polishers, etc.
• Figure 1 is a longitudinal sectional view through an embodiment of a dispenser according to the present invention
• Figure 2 is a longitudinal sectional view through a dispenser turned 90° relative to the embodiment shown in Figure 1,
• Figure 3 are enlarged partially sectional views through the first body, the second body, the holding means and the fixation element,
• Figure 4 is an enlarged partially sectional view of an alternative embodiment of the view shown in Figure 3,
• Figure 5 shows an embodiment of a fixation element seen from the mounting side
• Figure 6 shows an alternative embodiment of a fixation element seen from the mounting side
• Figure 7 is a cross-sectional view through an alternative embodiment of a fixation element
• Figure 8 is a cross-sectional view through a third em ⁇ bodiment of a fixation element
• Figure 9 is a cross-sectional view through a fourth embodiment of a fixation element
• Figure 10 illustrates a dispenser unit without package body
• FIGS 10A-B are partially sectional views through the dispenser valve in different embodiments seen from the side shown in Figure 2,
• FIGS 10C-F illustrate the dispenser valve in different embodiments seen from the side shown in Figure 1,
• Figure 11 illustrates a package body
• Figures 11A-B are partially sectional views through the lip opening of the package body in different em ⁇ bodiments.
• FIGS 1 and 2 are longitudinal sectional views through an embodiment of a dispenser 1 according to the present in- vention.
• the dispenser 1 consists of a pumping means 2, a package body 3, a fixation element 4 with through-going notches 17, and a securing means 11 (cf. Figures 3 and 4) , and a holding means 5.
• the pumping means 2 which is at its upper end 7 provided with a valve 6, in an advantageous embodiment a one-way valve, and is at a lower end 20 provided with an outwardly facing collar 21.
• the pumping means 2 is made of an elastic, flexible material, preferably silicone, which, following compression, assumes its original shape.
• the package body 3 is provided with a lip opening 8 and, at its other end, with a securing area 19.
• the package body 3 is made of a material which is soft and resilient, preferably aluminium and/or soft plastics, such as polyethylene. A package body 3 of such material does not assume its original shape following compression.
• the package body 3 is mounted on an outwardly facing area 16 (cf. Figs 7, 8 and 9) on the fixation element 4.
• the area 16 is provided between an inside plane 14 and an outside plane 15.
• the outside plane 15 may be used as a stand plane whereas the package body 3 is mounted above the inside plane 14.
• the openings 17 which are provided in the fixation element 4 prevents the occurence of vacuum in the pumping means 2 when the pumping means 2 assumes its original shape following compression.
• the valve 6 extends across the entire lip opening 8 of the package body 3 and continues to the outer circumference of the pumping means 2.
• the dispenser 1 is shown standing upright on a plane 10 but it may also be provided with a suspension means 9 on the plane 15 to allow the dispenser 1 to be suspended.
• the dispenser 1 is assembled and used by fastening the package body 3 to the fixation element 4 by means of fixation means 11 (cf. Figs 3 and 4) .
• the pumping means 2 is sub ⁇ sequently mounted to enclose the package body 3 while the valve 6 on the upper end 7 of the pumping means 2 is opened by pressing one corner 12 and another corner 13 towards each other. In this manner passage is established for the lip opening 8 of the package body 3.
• the lip opening 8 is not broken with a pair of scissors (cf. Figs 11 A and B) or the like at the relevant point in time whereby any possible soiling of the pumping means 2 interior is avoided.
• the holding means 5 is carried downwards to enclose the pumping means 2.
• the pumping means 2, the fixation element 4 and the holding means 5 are subsequently secured relative to each other whereupon the lip opening 8 is opened with a pair of scissors or the like.
• the holding means 5 is provided with an internal groove 26 while the pumping means 2 is provided with a recess 25.
• the recess 25 and the groove 26 could also be arranged invertedly or between the pumping means 2 and the fixation element 4.
• the purpose of the fixation is to ensure that the dispenser cannot be disassembled by compression.
• the dispenser is assembled by lowering the package body 3 into the pumping means 2 while the valve 6 on the upper end 7 of the pumping means 2 is opened as described above.
• the fixation element 4 is subsequently arranged within the pumping means 2 and rotated to secure the fixation element in the holding means 5.
• Such securing of the holding means 5 and the fixation element 4 is advantageously obtained with a bayonet socket 28.
• the above-described suspension of the package body 3 also permits the dispenser 1 to be used in its standing position as well as suspended and ensures optimum utilization of the contents of the package body 3. This is due to the fact that the valve 6 will, as described above, ensure that the bag 3 contains only and therefore only discharges the desired product 18 and not air.
• the securing of the package body 3 means that the dispenser 1 may be used in a standing 4 as well a suspended position as shown in Figs 1 and 2 since the package body cannot collapse or fall down and hence block further discharge of the fluid product 18.
• Replacement of the package body 3 may be provided in two ways. Most advantageously the bag 3 is pulled out through the valve 6 by gripping the lip opening 8 and pulling it. In this way it is ensured that the interior of the dispenser 1 is not soiled and consequently a new package body 3 may immediately be installed without cleaning.
• the package body 3 may be removed by separating the fixation element 4 and the holding means 5 from each other and subsequently removing the pumping means 2 and the fixation element 4 with the package body 3 from each other. Owing to the fixation means 11, the bag 3 will continue to be suspended from the fixation element 4 and thus, the bag 3 may be pulled out along the same path as it was mounted. This alternative way of replacing the bag 3, however, may be associated with drawbacks since the pulling out involves a risk of soiling the pumping means 2 interior.
• Figures 3 and 4 illustrate a fixation element 4 with two embodiments of the fixation means 11. Moreover, the figures show a snap locking system as described above for securing the pumping means 2, the fixation element 4 and the holding means 5.
• Figure 3 shows a detachable annular fixation means 11 mounted in an inward recess 16 on the fixation element 4.
• the fixation means 11 shown herein is made of a resilient material, such as artificial or natural rubber, to obtain such physical properties as large friction capacity and elasticity.
• the fixation means 11 is arranged interiorly of the securing area 19 of the package body 3.
• the securing means 11 could also be arranged exteriorly of the securing portion 19 in such a manner that the securing portion 19 is pinched between the fixation element 4 and the fixation means 11.
• Figure 4 illustrates a securing means 21 which is integral with the fixation element 4.
• the securing means 21 is provided in the form of protrusions 21 on the axial plane 16.
• the amount of protrusions 21 may vary from two to several whereby the protrusions may assume any shape from small pins to substantially circular protrusions.
• the fixation element 4 is provided with three securing means 21 which are tapered and slightly inclining towards the plane 15. This allows for reliable and solid mounting of the package body 3 on the fixation element 4.
• fixation element 5 4 two embodiments of the fixation element 5 4 are shown.
• the fixation element 4 is seen from the plane 15 in the Figures.
• the two fixation elements 4 are to be consi ⁇ dered exemplary of the ways in which the through-going notches 17 may be provided as it is obvious that they may assume other geometrical shapes, such as triangular, square 10 shapes, etc.
• fixation means may also have other shapes, such as oval, elliptic, square, hexagonal, octagonal ,15 or the like.
• Figures 7, 8 and 9 illustrate three different embodiments of a fixation element 4.
• Figure 7 shows a fixation element 4 intended for standing on a plane surface 10 (see Figs 1 and
• FIG. 20 2 The fixation element 4 could also be massive and without the recess as shown.
• Figures 8 and 9 illustrate two em ⁇ bodiments of a fixation element 4 when the dispenser 1 may be suspended. In the two embodiments the dispenser 1 may be suspended from a hook (not shown) or suspended by means of a
• FIGS. 10 A and B are partially sectional views through a valve 6.
• the valve is shown with a semicircular boss 22 that extends interiorly on each side in the longitudinal direction of the valve 6. By means of the boss 22, the valve 6 will pinch a small portion of the
• FIG. 10B illustrates a valve 6 which, contrary to the one shown in Fig. 10A pinches a wide area. This provides safe closing of the package body 3 and thus allows for use of low-viscosity material therein which
• Figures 10C-F show different geometrical embodiments of the valve 6. The design of the valve 6 depends on the desired performance of the valve 6 and the shape in which the dis ⁇ charged product 18 is desired to be discharged.
• FIGs 11A-B illustrate two different embodiments of the opening area 8 of the bag 3.
• the lip opening 8 is shown with a longitudinal external boss 24 on each side of the package body 3. This boss 24, which may be broken in its longitudinal direction, prevents the bag 3 from falling or being sucked downwards into the pumping means 2.
• Fig. 11B a standard lip opening 8 is shown wherein no measures are taken to prevent sucking or falling down.

Landscapes

• Health & Medical Sciences (AREA)
• Public Health (AREA)
• Containers And Packaging Bodies Having A Special Means To Remove Contents (AREA)
• Packages (AREA)

Applications Claiming Priority (3)

Publications (1)

Family

ID=8097723

Family Applications (1)

Country Status (4)

Families Citing this family (3)

Family Cites Families (13)

• 1994
  • 1994-07-05 DK DK80194A patent/DK171608B1/da not_active IP Right Cessation
• 1995
  • 1995-07-04 EP EP95924196A patent/EP0766632A1/de not_active Withdrawn
  • 1995-07-04 WO PCT/DK1995/000284 patent/WO1996001215A1/en not_active Application Discontinuation
  • 1995-07-04 AU AU28803/95A patent/AU2880395A/en not_active Abandoned

Non-Patent Citations (1)

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