LIQUID DISPENSER WITH BOTTLE VENTILATION

Abstract

Liquid dispenser having a liquid store and a discharge device fitted thereto and having a discharge opening. The discharge device has a pump device with a pump chamber variable in terms of volume and connected at an input side in a communicating manner to the liquid store and at an output side in a communicating manner to the discharge opening. The pump device conveys liquid from the liquid store to the discharge opening. The discharge device has a ventilation channel, by which an incoming air flow is enabled for pressure compensation between the liquid store and a surrounding atmosphere. The ventilation channel has a ventilation valve openable by manual actuation of the pump device and closed when the pump device is not actuated. Further, the ventilation channel has a capillary channel portion through which the incoming air flow reaches the liquid store.

Claims

1. A liquid dispenser having the following features: a. the liquid dispenser has a liquid store for storing liquid prior to discharge, b. the liquid store has a discharge device which is fitted to the liquid store and which has a discharge opening for discharging the liquid, c. the discharge device has a pump device for manual actuation with a pump chamber, which is variable in terms of volume and which is connected at an input side in a communicating manner to the liquid store and which is connected at an output side in a communicating manner to the discharge opening, d. the discharge device has a ventilation channel, by which an incoming air flow is enabled for pressure compensation between the liquid store and a surrounding atmosphere, e. the ventilation channel has a ventilation valve which can be opened by manual activation of the pump device and which is closed when the pump device is not actuated, and f. the ventilation channel has a capillary channel portion, through which the incoming air flow reaches the liquid store.

2. The liquid dispenser according to claim 1 having the following additional features: a. the discharge device has a base at the side of the liquid store and a discharge head which can be displaced relative to the base for the purpose of actuating the pump device, b. the base and the discharge head have a first housing portion and a second housing portion of a rigid plastics material, wherein the first housing portion is provided on the base and the second housing portion is provided on the discharge head, and c. the ventilation valve is formed by a first valve face and a second valve face which are provided on the first and second housing portions, wherein the valve faces are in abutment with each other when the pump device is not actuated.

3. The liquid dispenser according to claim 2 having the following additional feature: a. the first housing portion and the second housing portion together form a stop which prevents the discharge head from being removed from the base, in particular having the additional feature: b. the two valve faces form stop faces of the stop.

4. The liquid dispenser according to claim 1 having the following additional feature: a. the capillary channel portion is arranged downstream of the ventilation valve with respect to an influx direction of the air.

5. The liquid dispenser according to claim 1 having the following additional features: a. the pump device has a cylindrical pump chamber wall and a pump piston which can be displaced inside the pump chamber wall, and b. the ventilation valve is arranged at the outer side of the pump chamber wall.

6. The liquid dispenser according to claim 1 having at least one of the following additional features: a. the capillary channel portion has a length of greater than 10 mm, preferably greater than 30 mm, in particular greater than 50 mm, and/or b. a mean cross-sectional surface-area of the capillary channel is less than 0.05 mm.sup.2, preferably less than 0.02 mm.sup.2, in particular less than 0.01 mm.sup.2, and/or c. the capillary channel portion has a minimum clear cross-section less than 0.02 mm.sup.2, and/or d. the quotient of the length of the capillary channel portion divided by the mean cross-sectional surface-area is greater than 300 mm.sup.−1, in particular greater than 1000 mm.sup.−1.

7. The liquid dispenser according to claim 1 having the following additional feature: a. the capillary channel portion is arranged between two sleeve components which are connected to each other in a non-positive-locking or positive-locking manner, in particular having one of the following additional features: b. the capillary channel portion is at least partially provided on a cylindrical part-portion of the sleeve components, and/or c. the capillary channel portion is at least partially provided on a conical part-portion of the sleeve components, and/or d. the capillary channel portion is formed by a helical recess in one of the sleeve components, in particular a recess having a triangular cross-section.

8. The liquid dispenser according to claim 1 having the following additional feature: a. the ventilation channel has a filter, in particular a membrane filter, in particular having the following feature: b. with respect to an influx direction of the air the filter is arranged downstream of the ventilation valve and/or downstream of the capillary channel portion.

9. The liquid dispenser according to claim 8 having the following additional feature: a. the filter is constructed at least at a side facing in the direction of the liquid store in a hydrophobic manner.

10. The liquid dispenser according to claim 1 having the following additional features: a. the ventilation channel has an intermediate chamber which is arranged in particular between the capillary channel portion and the ventilation valve, and b. the intermediate chamber has a volume which corresponds to at least 0.5 times a pump stroke volume of the pump device, in particular having the following additional feature: c. the intermediate chamber has a volume which corresponds to at least 1.0 times a pump stroke volume of the pump device, preferably at least 2.0 times, in a particularly preferred manner at least 5.0 times, the pump stroke volume of the pump device.

11. The liquid dispenser according to claim 1 having the following additional feature: a. a pump stroke volume of the pump device is between 0.01 ml and 0.25 ml, in particular between 0.05 ml and 0.15 ml.

12. The liquid dispenser according to claim 1 having at least one of the following additional features: a. the valve faces of the ventilation valve are in abutment with each other with a mean pressing pressure of from 0.5 N/mm.sup.2 to 1.5 N/mm.sup.2, and/or b. there is provided a return spring which is associated with the pump device and which presses the valve faces of the ventilation valve against each other.

13. The liquid dispenser according to claim 1 having one of the following additional features: a. the liquid dispenser is filled with a pharmaceutical liquid, in particular with a nasal spray liquid, in particular with the active ingredient metazoline, or liquid with the active ingredient triptane, or saline solution, or liquid with a pain-relieving active ingredient, or liquid with antihistamine, or liquid with an antiallergenic agent, or eye drop or eye spray liquid, or liquid for discharge as a dermal or oral spray, or inhalation liquid, or disinfecting spray liquid, or liquid for washing wounds, or b. the liquid store is filled with a cosmetic liquid, in particular with a perfume, or a skin cleansing liquid, or a makeup remover.

Description

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0037] Other advantages and aspects of the invention will be appreciated from the claims and the following description of preferred embodiments of the invention which are explained below with reference to the Figures.

[0038] FIG. 1A shows a nasal dispenser according to the invention in an idle state with a closed ventilation channel,

[0039] FIG. 1B shows the nasal dispenser in the actuated state with an open ventilation channel,

[0040] FIG. 2 shows an alternative embodiment of the nasal dispenser of FIGS. 1A and 1B with an improved ventilation valve,

[0041] FIG. 3 shows another alternative embodiment with a differently guided ventilation channel,

[0042] FIG. 4 shows the discharge head of a spray dispenser with a laterally orientated discharge opening,

[0043] FIGS. 5A and 5B show a sleeve component for forming a capillary channel portion of the ventilation channel.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE EMBODIMENTS

[0044] FIGS. 1A and 1B show a liquid dispenser 10 having an only partially illustrated liquid store 20 on which a discharge device 30 is placed. The liquid dispenser 10 of FIGS. 1A and 1B is constructed as a nasal dispenser. The discharge device 30 has a base 40 which is secured to the liquid store 20 by means of a snap-ring 46, wherein, as a result of a seal 22, liquid is prevented from being able to escape from the liquid store past the discharge device 30.

[0045] In addition to the base 40, the discharge device 30 has a discharge head 60 which can be pressed down in the direction of the arrow 6 of FIG. 1B and at the distal end of which the discharge opening 68 is provided. Together, the base 40 and the discharge head 60 which can be moved relative thereto form a pump device 32. This pump device has at the side of the base a pump chamber wall 33, inside which a pump piston 39 which belongs to the discharge head 60 can be moved so that, as a result of this movement, the volume of the pump chamber 34 can be reduced counter to the force of a return spring 38. The pump device 32 has two valves, that is to say, an inlet valve 36 and a resiliently preloaded outlet valve 37. If, when the pump chamber 34 is filled, the discharge head 60 is pressed down in the manner illustrated in FIG. 1B, the inlet valve 36 is thereby closed so that a continued downward movement of the discharge head 60 in the direction of the arrow 6 leads to a pressure increase of the liquid in the pump chamber 34 which in turn brings about an opening of the outlet valve and a discharge of the liquid in the direction of the arrow 4. During the return stroke, additional liquid is drawn into the pump chamber 34 through a riser pipe 24.

[0046] During a liquid discharge, in particular a liquid discharge with a plurality of pump strokes which follow immediately one after the other, a reduced pressure is produced in the liquid store 20. In order to dissipate this reduced pressure, there is provided a ventilation channel 80 which is illustrated in FIGS. 1A and 1B by means of a dotted line and which in the state of FIG. 1A is closed and in the state of FIG. 1B is open.

[0047] With respect to FIG. 1A, this ventilation channel extends through an annular gap at the inner side of a finger support of the discharge head 60 as far as a ventilation valve 82 which is formed by stop faces 44, 64 of the base 40 and the discharge head 60. This is adjoined by an annular intermediate chamber 83 which in this instance has approximately five times the volume of a pump stroke of the pump device 32. Further downstream in the ventilation channel 80 there follows a capillary channel portion which is formed between two sleeve components 52, 54. The sleeve component 52 is identical to a main component of the base 40. The sleeve component 54 is formed by a separate sleeve which is fitted on the sleeve component 52 and which remains in position here in a non-positive-locking manner. In a manner which cannot be clearly seen in FIGS. 1A and 1B, a helical groove is introduced in the inner side of the sleeve component 54 and, after the non-positive-locking pressing on the inner sleeve component 52 forms the helical capillary channel portion. This capillary channel portion has a length of approximately 40 mm and a clear width of approximately 0.02 mm.

[0048] Further downstream in the ventilation channel 80, as a last element upstream of the liquid store, there adjoins a filter 86 whose side facing the liquid store 20 is constructed in a hydrophobic manner.

[0049] In the idle state of the liquid dispenser 10, the ventilation valve 82 is closed in the manner described. If the liquid dispenser is now actuated and liquid is discharged in the manner described in the introduction, a reduced pressure is produced during the return stroke in the liquid store 20 and is initially not compensated for. Only in the minutes after using the dispenser and when the ventilation valve 82 has already been closed again is a compensation carried out, that is to say, as a result of the fact that air from the intermediate chamber 83, via the capillary channel portion 84 and the filter 86, reaches the liquid store 20. Although this does not lead to a complete pressure compensation in the liquid store 20, instead it does lead to an extensive one. After a relatively long rest period, there consequently remains a substantially uniform slight reduced pressure both in the liquid store 20 and in the intermediate chamber 83. If the dispenser is now operated a next time, the reduced pressure in the liquid store 20 increases again during the return stroke. At the same time, however, as a result of the ventilation valve 82 which is open in accordance with FIG. 1B, there is directly produced a complete pressure compensation in the intermediate chamber 83. After the ventilation valve 82 has been closed again, an extensive pressure compensation in the liquid store as a result of the influx of air from the intermediate chamber 83 can consequently take place in the manner already described.

[0050] FIG. 2 shows a variant of the embodiment of FIGS. 1A and 1B. The only difference is that, in this embodiment, on the ventilation valve a sealing ring 65 of resiliently deformable material, such as in particular a rubber-like material, is provided. This sealing ring 65 may either be securely provided on the base 40 or securely provided on the discharge head 60. The sealing ring improves the sealing action of the ventilation valve 82 so that it is ensured to a greater degree that the ventilation valve 82 closes in a completely tight manner even after a relatively long period of storage or idle period. Although such an embodiment is technically advantageous, it is usually economically disadvantageous. The additional sealing ring involves costs which are not necessary per se with the embodiment according to the invention. As a result of the elements of the ventilation valve, which are arranged one behind the other in series, and the capillary channel and the additional filter, a discharge protection is also ensured when the ventilation valve 82 does not completely close.

[0051] FIG. 3 shows another variant of a liquid dispenser according to the invention, wherein in this instance for reasons of simplification only the discharge device 30 of the liquid dispenser is illustrated. The significant difference compared with the embodiment of FIGS. 1A and 1B is that the capillary channel portion 84 is constructed in another manner in this instance. As can be seen in the Figure, the capillary channel portion 84 is formed by two sleeve components 52, 54, wherein the inner sleeve component 52 is constructed as a separate component and with the inner side thereof provides a running face for the pump piston 39. On the outer side of this inner sleeve component 52, a helical groove which forms the capillary channel portion is introduced again.

[0052] The embodiment of FIG. 4 is with regard to the components significant to the invention almost identical to the embodiment of FIG. 3. In this instance, however, it is not a nasal dispenser, but instead a dispenser for laterally discharging liquid which is formed in a manner according to the invention with a ventilation channel 80.

[0053] FIGS. 5A and 5B show the sleeve component 52 of the liquid dispenser according to FIG. 3, wherein the differences with respect to the corresponding sleeve component 54 of the embodiment of FIG. 4 constitute details which are not significant to the invention. It may be seen that the sleeve component 52 is provided at the lower end thereof with a helical recess which in cooperation with the inner side of the sleeve component 52 leads to a helical ventilation channel.