LIQUID DISPENSER

Abstract

A liquid dispenser for cosmetic liquids having a liquid reservoir and an applicator. An outlet channel connects the reservoir to the applicator, the outlet channel being formed either valveless or with an outlet valve. The liquid dispenser has a pressure generating device which pressurizes liquid in the reservoir for conveyance through the outlet channel to the applicator. The pressure generating device has an air pumping device which feeds and an actuating pressure chamber. The actuating pressure chamber adjoins, and is separated from, the reservoir by a displaceable wall so that an overpressure in the actuating pressure chamber leads to an overpressure in the reservoir. The air pumping device has manual actuator, allowing air to be pumped into the actuating pressure chamber by the actuator, so that the overpressure in the actuating pressure chamber and in the reservoir rises sufficiently to convey liquid from the reservoir to the applicator.

Claims

1. A liquid dispenser for discharging liquids, in particular cosmetic liquids for application on the skin, with the following features: a. the liquid dispenser has a reservoir for storing liquid before discharge, and b. the liquid dispenser has an applicator, through which the liquid can be delivered into a surrounding area, and c. the liquid dispenser has an outlet channel, which connects the reservoir to the applicator, the outlet channel: being configured as a valveless outlet channel which creates a permanent connection between the reservoir and the likewise valveless applicator, or a pressure-dependently opening liquid outlet valve, which opens when there is a minimum opening overpressure sufficient for opening the liquid outlet valve, e. the liquid dispenser has a pressure generating device, by means of which liquid in the reservoir can be pressurized, in order to be able to be conveyed through the outlet channel to the applicator, f. the pressure generating device has an air pumping device and an actuating pressure chamber fed by it, and g. the actuating pressure chamber adjoins the reservoir and is separated from the reservoir by a displaceable wall, so that an overpressure in the actuating pressure chamber leads to an overpressure in the reservoir, and h. the air pumping device has an actuator for manual actuation, allowing air to be pumped into the actuating pressure chamber by means of the actuator, so that in this way the overpressure in the actuating pressure chamber and in the reservoir rises sufficiently to convey liquid from the reservoir to the applicator.

2. The liquid dispenser as claimed in claim 1, with the following additional feature: a. the reservoir and the actuating pressure chamber are provided within an at least partly cylindrical housing part, and b. the displaceable wall takes the form of an intrinsically rigid separating plunger, which is provided in a slidingly movable manner in the housing part, lying in a sealing manner against a cylinder wall of the housing part.

3. The liquid dispenser as claimed in claim 1, with the following additional feature: a. the displaceable wall takes the form of an intrinsically deformable and preferably pliable film wall, preferably with the following additional feature: b. the reservoir or the actuating pressure chamber is formed as a bag, the bag wall of which forms the displaceable and deformable film wall.

4. The liquid dispenser as claimed in claim 1, with the following additional feature: a. the applicator has an external application element provided for liquid take-up, in particular in the manner of a porous application element or a brush, with a take-up side for taking up the liquid supplied from the discharge channel and a delivery side for delivering the liquid to a target surface.

5. The liquid dispenser as claimed in claim 1, with the following additional feature: a. the liquid dispenser has an outer housing aligned in a main direction of extent, the applicator and the actuator being arranged on ends of the outer housing that are opposite from one another.

6. The liquid dispenser as claimed in claim 5, with the following additional feature: a. the actuator is formed as an actuating button that can be pressed down translationally in the main direction of the extent in the direction of the applicator.

7. The liquid dispenser as claimed in claim 1, with the following additional features: a. the liquid dispenser has a main housing component with an interior space in which the reservoir and the actuating pressure chamber are arranged, and b. the air pumping device comprises a separating wall, on which a sealing area of an air outlet valve is provided, and c. the separating wall is provided as an integral part of the main housing component.

8. The liquid dispenser as claimed in claim 1, with the following additional feature: a. the liquid outlet valve has a slit valve component of an elastic material which opens in a deformed state.

9. The liquid dispenser as claimed in claim 1, with the following additional feature: a. the minimum opening overpressure in the reservoir with respect to the surrounding area is at least 10 mbar, preferably at least 40 mbar.

10. The liquid dispenser as claimed in claim 1, with the following additional feature: a. to avoid leaking out of liquid from the reservoir, the valveless discharge channel has a liquid throttle, preferably with a minimum clear cross section of at most 1 mm.sup.2.

11. The liquid dispenser as claimed in claim 10, with one of the following additional features: a. the liquid throttle has a throttling portion of at least 2 mm in length, within which the clear cross section is at most 1 mm.sup.2, and/or b. a plurality of discharge channels, which lead to a common applicator, are provided, each of the discharge channels having a throttling portion, the minimum clear cross section of which is at most 1 mm.sup.2.

12. The liquid dispenser as claimed in claim 1, with the following additional feature: a. the reservoir is filled with a cosmetic liquid, preferably with the following additional feature: b. the reservoir is filled with a cosmetic liquid selected from the group of the following liquids: make-up liquids, in particular with a proportion of solid matter, or cosmetic gels or lotions.

13. The liquid dispenser as claimed in claim 1, with the following additional feature: a. the liquid dispenser has a cap, which can be placed removably and replaceably onto a base of the liquid dispenser, and b. the cap isolates liquid-carrying parts of the applicator from a surrounding area.

14. The liquid dispenser as claimed in claim 1, with at least one of the following additional features: a. the air pumping device has a pump chamber, which is temporarily connected to a surrounding area by a pressure-dependently opening air inlet valve and is temporarily connected to the actuating pressure chamber by a pressure-dependently opening air outlet valve, and b. the pump chamber of the air pumping device is formed by a bellows, in particular by a bellows that is open on both sides, and c. an end of the bellows that is assigned to the actuator is movable with respect to the actuator and has an inlet opening, which is closed when the actuator lies against the bellows, in particular by a conical closing portion on the actuator, and/or d. the air pumping device has a return spring, preferably in the form of a helical spring, by which the actuator is urged in the direction of a starting position.

Description

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0046] Further advantages and aspects of the invention emerge from the claims and from the following description of preferred exemplary embodiments of the invention, which are explained below on the basis of the figures.

[0047] FIGS. 1 and 2 show a first configuration of a dispenser according to the invention in a sectional representation and an exploded representation.

[0048] FIGS. 3A to 3D illustrate the operating principle of the liquid dispenser from FIGS. 1 and 2.

[0049] FIGS. 4 and 5 show a second configuration of a dispenser according to the invention in a sectional representation and an exploded representation.

[0050] FIG. 6 shows a third configuration of a dispenser according to the invention in a sectional representation.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE EXEMPLARY EMBODIMENTS

[0051] FIGS. 1 and 2 show a first embodiment of a liquid dispenser 10 according to the invention in the assembled state and as an exploded representation.

[0052] This liquid dispenser 10 has a discharge device and, placed on it, a cap 90. The discharge device itself has a substantially cylindrical outer housing 16, on the upper end of which, shown in FIGS. 1 and 2, an applicator 30 is attached. Provided on the opposite side of the outer housing 16 is a pressure generating device 60, which is made up of an air pumping device 70 and an actuating pressure chamber 80.

[0053] The actuating pressure chamber 80 and a reservoir 20 arranged above the actuating pressure chamber 80 are of a variable size. They are separated from one another by a separating plunger 84, which forms a wall 82 and in the course of the progressive emptying of the reservoir 20 is displaced upward with respect to the perspective of FIGS. 1 and 2, so that the reservoir 20 is reduced in size and the actuating pressure chamber 80 is increased in size.

[0054] The applicator 30 has as the main component an application element 32, which forms the distal end of the discharge device, is formed as an elastic, sponge-like porous body and is clamped or adhesively fixed in a recess provided for it in a housing of the applicator, consisting of two housing parts 36, 38. The lower of the housing parts, the housing part 38, defines in its middle an outlet channel 12. This ends at a liquid outlet valve 40, which has a slit valve component 42 of an elastic material.

[0055] The use as intended of the liquid dispenser 10 provides that the application element 32, or the delivery side 32B thereof, is used to apply a make-up liquid on the skin of a user. For this, the application element 32 must be impregnated with liquid from the reservoir 20. On account of the liquid outlet valve 40, for this pressure must be produced in the reservoir 20. The already mentioned pressure generating device 60 is provided for this. The pressure generating device 60 is intended for the purpose that, by forcing air into the actuating pressure chamber 80, a pressure of approximately equal magnitude is caused in the liquid within the reservoir 20. Provided for forcing air into the actuating pressure chamber 80 is an actuator 72, which can be depressed in the direction of the arrow 2A, in order in this way to compress a pump chamber 77 within a bellows 78, so that the air flows out of the pump chamber 77 through an air outlet valve 76, which opens when there is overpressure and is in the manner of a shield valve with a shield 79, into the actuating pressure chamber 80. For this purpose, the bellows 78 is formed as open at its upper end. At the lower end, by contrast, an end wall which is interrupted by a central aperture 78A is provided on the bellows 78. At this lower end, the actuator 72 is not fixedly connected to the bellows 78, but is movable with respect to it, so that an air inlet valve 75 formed by this aperture 78A and an elevation 72A on the inner side of the actuator 72 can open and close.

[0056] In order to ensure a rapid return stroke, and consequently opening of the air inlet valve 75, also provided is a spring 50, which is formed as a helical spring and constantly applies a force to the actuator 72 in the direction of its lower end position as in FIG. 1.

[0057] FIGS. 3A to 3C illustrate the operating principle. Starting from the as-delivered state of FIG. 3A with a completely filled reservoir 20, the actuator is pressed down, as FIG. 3B indicates by the arrow 2A. That leads initially to a closing of the air inlet valve 75 and to an opening of the air outlet valve 76. The air flowing into the actuating pressure chamber 80, which is illustrated by the arrows 4, leads to an increased air pressure there. The freely movable separating plunger 84 causes the liquid in the reservoir 20 to be subjected to the same pressure, while the overpressure in the reservoir 20 that has been produced by the so far only one actuation is not yet sufficient to open the liquid outlet valve 40.

[0058] If the actuator 72 is let go, it is rapidly urged back into its starting position by the spring 50, as illustrated by FIG. 3C and the arrow 2B there. The air outlet valve 76 resumes a closed state, which is caused by the shaping of the valve shield 79. The air inlet valve 75 opens, since the bellows 78 does not return in the direction of the arrow 2C at the same rate as the actuator 72. While the increased air pressure in the actuating pressure chamber 80 is maintained, at the end of the first actuating action the volume of the pump chamber 77 is at a maximum again and the air pressure corresponds to the ambient pressure. With the second actuation, corresponding to FIG. 3D, the pressure in the actuating pressure chamber 80 is increased once again. This then leads to a sufficiently high pressure to open the liquid outlet valve 40 by opening of the slit in the valve component 42 and discharging liquid in a way corresponding to the liquid displaced by the separating plunger 84. The liquid is thereby discharged under only slight overpressure, so that it can be distributed very homogeneously within the application element 32. The arrows 5 illustrate this.

[0059] If the pressure in the reservoir 20 falls below the opening pressure of the liquid outlet valve 40, the liquid outlet valve 40 closes again. The slight overpressure that persists up to this point in time in the reservoir 20 and the actuating pressure chamber 80 is however maintained. If a renewed actuation is performed at a later point in time by way of the actuator 72, this already leads with the first actuation to a sufficient overpressure to in turn open the liquid outlet valve 40, and consequently to feed the application element 32 once again with liquid.

[0060] The configuration of FIGS. 4 and 5 differs from the previous exemplary embodiment only by the type of wall 82. In the case of the design according to FIGS. 4 and 5, a dimensionally flexible and pliable bag 22 is provided, the film wall 24 of which forms the wall 82 between the actuating pressure chamber 80 and the reservoir 20.

[0061] The configuration of FIG. 6 differs from the previous configurations in that no liquid outlet valve 40 is provided. The two housing parts 36, 38 are formed as a unitary housing part 37, which is perforated by a plurality of valveless outlet channels 13.

[0062] The operating principle is fundamentally identical to that of the previous configurations. However, the pressure required for the conveyance of liquid into the application element 32 is not caused by an outlet valve, but by the comparatively narrow and throttle-like shape of the outlet channels 13.

[0063] However, the risk of escape is in principle greater in the case of such a design, and so it is not preferred. The risk can however be reduced by a liquid-tight configuration of the cap 90.