Foam-forming assembly and squeeze foamer

Abstract

A foam-forming assembly includes a housing having an air passage and a liquid passage, each ending in a mouth and being in communication with a dispensing passage having a dispensing opening, and a valve body which, in a rest position, covers the mouth of the liquid passage and the mouth of the air passage in a sealing manner in order to prevent a flow from the liquid passage and the air passage to the dispensing passage. During dispensing, the valve body opens the mouth of the liquid passage and the mouth of the air passage in order to allow mixing of air and liquid to take place in the dispensing passage. The mouth of the air passage is substantially annular, and the air passage includes a pressure balance chamber to divide the air pressure substantially equally over the substantially annular mouth.

Claims

1. A foam-forming assembly, comprising: a housing having an air passage and a liquid passage, each ending in a mouth and being in communication with a dispensing passage having a dispensing opening, and a valve body having a rest position, in which the valve body covers the mouth of the liquid passage and the mouth of the air passage in a sealing manner, in order to prevent a flow from the liquid passage and the air passage to the dispensing passage, the valve body further having a dispensing position, in which the valve body opens the mouth of the liquid passage and the mouth of the air passage in order to allow mixing of air and liquid to take place in the dispensing passage, wherein the air passage comprises an air inlet to connect an air inlet tube, wherein the air inlet is arranged non-concentrically with the substantially annular mouth of the air passage, and wherein the mouth of the air passage is substantially annular, and wherein the air passage comprises a pressure balance chamber to divide the air pressure substantially equally over the substantially annular mouth so as to compensate for the non-concentrical arrangement of the air inlet.

2. The foam-forming assembly of claim 1, wherein a smallest cross section of the air passage is provided between the pressure balance chamber and the mouth of the air passage.

3. The foam-forming assembly of claim 1, wherein the pressure balance chamber is arranged between an air inlet of the air passage and the substantially annular mouth of the air passage, and wherein a cross section of the air inlet and a cross section of the air passage between the pressure balance chamber and the mouth of the air passage are substantially smaller than the cross section of the pressure balance chamber.

4. The foam-forming assembly of claim 3, wherein the cross section of the air inlet is larger than the cross section of the air passage between the pressure balance chamber and the mouth of the air passage.

5. The foam-forming assembly of claim 1, wherein the mouth of the air passage and the pressure balance chamber are in communication with each other via multiple holes in a wall between the substantially annular mouth and the pressure balance chamber, wherein the multiple holes are substantially equally divided over the circumference of the mouth of the air passage, wherein the multiple holes together have a smaller cross section than the cross section of the pressure balance chamber, wherein the multiple holes together have a smallest cross section of the air passage.

6. The foam-forming assembly of claim 1, wherein the mouth of the air passage and the pressure balance chamber are in communication with each other via at least three holes in a wall between the substantially annular mouth and the pressure balance chamber, wherein the at least three holes are substantially equally divided over the circumference of the mouth of the air passage.

7. The foam-forming assembly of claim 1, wherein a volume of the pressure balance chamber is at least 20% of a total volume of the air passage.

8. The foam-forming assembly of claim 1, wherein a cross section of the air passage between the pressure balance chamber and the mouth of the air passage is substantially smaller than a cross section of the pressure balance chamber.

9. The foam-forming assembly of claim 1, wherein the mouth of the air passage is annular and arranged on a first circle, and wherein the mouth of the liquid passage and inlet openings of the dispensing passage are arranged on a second circle, wherein the first circle and the second circle are arranged concentrically and adjacent to each other.

10. The foam-forming assembly of claim 1, wherein the foam-forming assembly comprises an air inlet channel to introduce air into the container, wherein the air inlet channel is connected to the air passage between the mouth of the air passage and an air inlet to connect an air inlet tube, wherein the location of connection of the air inlet channel and the air passage is spaced from the mouth of the air passage.

11. The foam-forming assembly of claim 10, wherein the air inlet channel is connected to the air passage at the location of the pressure balance chamber.

12. The foam-forming assembly of claim 1, wherein the housing comprises a first housing part and a second housing part mounted on the first housing part, wherein the second housing part defines the mouth of the liquid passage and the mouth of the air passage, and wherein between the first housing part and the second housing part the air pressure balance chamber is formed.

13. The foam-forming assembly of claim 1, wherein the mouth of the liquid passage comprises multiple outlet openings arranged in a circle, wherein the multiple outlet openings are covered by the valve body in the rest position, wherein the valve body comprises at least at the location of the multiple outlet openings a substantially tube-shaped part, and wherein, in the at rest position, an inner surface of the tube shaped part covers the multiple outlet openings.

14. The foam-forming assembly of the claim 13, wherein the housing defines multiple inlet openings for the dispensing passage, and wherein the multiple inlet openings are arranged on the same circle as the outlet openings of the mouth of the liquid passage.

15. A squeeze foamer comprising a compressible container having an opening, and the foam-forming assembly of claim 1 mounted on or in the opening.

16. The foam-forming assembly of claim 7, wherein a volume of the pressure balance chamber is at least 40% of a total volume of the air passage.

Description

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

(1) The invention will be explained in more detail below by means of an exemplary embodiment in which reference will be made to the attached drawings, in which:

(2) FIG. 1 shows a cross section of an embodiment of a squeeze foamer according to the invention;

(3) FIG. 2 shows an isometric cross section of the embodiment of FIG. 1 during dispensing of foam;

(4) FIG. 3 shows an isometric cross section of the embodiment of FIG. 1 during aeration of the container;

(5) FIGS. 4 and 5 show an isometric top and bottom view on the first housing part of the housing of the embodiment of FIG. 1; and

(6) FIGS. 6 and 7 show an isometric top and bottom view on the second housing part of the housing of the embodiment of FIG. 1.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

(7) FIG. 1 shows an embodiment of a dispensing device according to the invention. The dispensing device is denoted overall by reference numeral 1. The dispensing device 1 is of the squeeze foamier type. Such a squeeze foamer dispenses a foam through a dispensing opening as a result of a container being squeezed. After it has been squeezed, the container will return to the original state, either by the elasticity of the container itself or by restoring means which are provided in order to return the container to its original state.

(8) The foam which can be formed using the dispensing device 1 may be suitable for various different uses, such as, for example, as soap, shampoo, shaving foam, washing-up liquid, sun-tan lotion, after-sun lotion, washing liquid, skincare products and the like.

(9) The dispensing device is shown in the rest position, that is to say that the container is not being squeezed.

(10) The illustrated squeeze foamer can be held in a hand during delivery. It is also possible to install it or a similar dispensing device into a holder which is to be attached, for example, to the wall, similar to holders which can, for example, be found in public toilets for dispensing of liquid soaps. Any other device for squeezing the container may also be used. The dispensing device is designed to be used in the position as shown in FIG. 1, i.e. with the dispensing opening pointing substantially downwards.

(11) The dispensing device 1 comprises a manually compressible container 2 containing a liquid and air. The container has an opening 2a on which a foam-forming assembly is fitted. The container 2 may have any suitable shape, for example a shape having an elliptical or a circular cross section.

(12) The foam-forming assembly is substantially circular-symmetrical with respect to a longitudinal axis of symmetry A-A. The foam-forming assembly comprises a housing with a first housing part 3, a second housing part 4 and a third housing part 5. The third housing part 5 is attached to the container 2 by means of a threaded connection. The first housing part 3 and the second housing part 4 are clamped in a sealing manner between the container 2 and the third housing part 5. Alternatively, the third housing part 5 may be attached by means of a snap connection, a welded connection, an airtight seal or another suitable connection on or in the container 2.

(13) In FIGS. 4, 5, 6 and 7 the first housing part 3 and second housing part 4 are shown in top view and bottom view.

(14) The foam-forming assembly comprises a substantially conical valve body 6 which is clamped near clamping section 6a between the second housing part 4 and the third housing part 5. The valve body 6 is made from a flexible, preferably elastic material. Silicone, such as for example Liquid Silicone Rubber (LSR), has proved to be a particularly suitable material for the valve body 6.

(15) In the shown position of the dispensing device, the air is, relative to the liquid, situated at the top of the container 2, i.e. in an upper region of the container 2. The liquid and air can be turned into a foam by means of the foam-forming-assembly, which is dispensed through a dispensing opening 7 in the cap 8. The cap is shown in closed position. For dispensing of foam the cap may be displaced in downwards direction with respect to the foam-forming assembly to open the dispensing opening 7. Any other suitable means to open and close the dispensing opening, for example a flip top may also be applied.

(16) The foam-forming assembly comprises a liquid passage 9 and an air passage 12. The liquid passage runs from the lower interior of the container to an annular mouth 10 of the liquid passage formed by three outlet openings 11 defined by the second housing part 4. The first housing part 3 comprises a cylindrical central part to be sealingly placed in a cylindrical part of the second housing part 4 to form a central liquid passage substantially on the longitudinal axis of the foam-forming assembly. The first housing part 3 comprises an opening 9a which is part of the liquid passage 9.

(17) The air passage 12 runs from an air inlet 13 to an annular mouth 14 of the air passage. The annular mouth 14 of the air passage 12 is formed by a single annular opening. As an alternative the annular mouth may be formed by one or more openings arranged in a circle. The air inlet 13 is a tube-shaped part on the first housing part 3 on which an air inlet tube 15 is arranged to connect an upper region of the interior of the container with the air inlet 13.

(18) The mouth 14 of the air passage 12 is arranged on a first circle. The mouth 10 of the liquid passage 9 and entry ports 30 of the dispensing passage 16 are arranged on a second circle. The first circle and the second circle are arranged concentrically and adjacent to each other.

(19) The annular mouth 10 of the liquid passage and annular mouth 14 of the air passage are arranged concentrically with respect to the longitudinal axis A-A. Due to the annular mouths 10, 14, the liquid and air are distributed over a circular and relatively large surface area, resulting in a relatively good mixing.

(20) In the rest position shown in FIG. 1, the annular mouths 10, 14 of the liquid passage and air passage are sealed by the valve body 6. An annular arcuate section of the valve body 6 extends into the mouth 14 of the air passage 12. At the location of the multiple outlet openings 11 of the annular mouth 9 of the liquid passage 10 the valve body 6 comprises a substantially tube-shaped part. An inner surface of this tube-shaped part of the valve body sealingly covers the outlet openings 11 in the at rest position of the dispensing device 1, The arcuate section and the tube shaped part provide a proper sealing of the mouths 10, 14.

(21) During dispensing, i.e. when the container 2 of the dispensing device 2 is depressed, the valve body 6 opens the mouth 10 of the liquid passage and the mouth 14 of the air passage with respect to three entry ports 30, i.e. inlet openings, of a dispensing passage 16, The dispensing passage 16 ends in the dispensing opening 7. Upon depression of the container, liquid flows from the mouth 10 of the liquid passage 9 and air flows from the mouth 14 of the air passage 12 into the entry ports 30 of the dispensing passage in order to allow mixing of air and liquid to form a foam in the dispensing passage, and to dispense the formed foam via the dispensing opening 7. The flows of liquid and air through the liquid and air passage to form a foam are schematically shown in FIG. 2.

(22) The dispensing passage 16 runs from the entry ports 30 through the central part of the valve body 6 to the dispensing opening 7. In the dispensing passage 16 a sieve element 13 is arranged with two sieves 13a and a constriction 13b between the two sieves 13a.

(23) Generally, the air passage 12 comprises one or more air ducts which bring the air in the container in fluid communication with the mouth 14 of the air passage 12 which, in the rest position, is covered by the valve body 6. The liquid passage correspondingly contains one or more liquid ducts which bring the liquid in the container in fluid communication with the mouth 10 of the liquid passage 9 which, in the rest position, is covered by the valve body 6.

(24) The valve body 6 is sealingly clamped between the second housing part 4 and the third housing part 5. In order, in the rest position, to achieve a better sealing of the valve body 6 on the mouths 10, 14 of the liquid passage 9 and air passage 12, the valve body 6 is fitted with some axial pretension between the second housing part 4 and the third housing part 5.

(25) The air inlet tube 15 is arranged non-concentrically with the annular mouth 14 of the air passage 12. To avoid an uneven distribution of air pressure over the annular mouth 14 of the air passage 12, the air passage comprises a pressure balance chamber 17 in the air passage 12 between the air inlet 13 and the mouth 14 of the air passage 12.

(26) The pressure balance chamber 17 is configured to distribute the air pressure which comes into existence during actuation of the squeeze foamer evenly over the circumference of the annular mouth 14.

(27) The pressure balance chamber 17 is formed by a space between the first housing part 3 and the second housing part 4. The mouth 14 of the air passage 12 and the pressure balance chamber 17 are in communication with each other via three holes 18 in the second housing part 5. The multiple holes 18 are substantially equally divided over the circumference of the mouth 14 of the air passage 12. The angular position of the air inlet 13 is located between two of the holes 18. Preferably, the air inlet 13 is not arranged in line with one of the holes 18.

(28) To positively influence the equal distribution of the air pressure over the circumference of the mouth 14 of the air passage 12, the holes 18 have together a cross section which is the smallest cross section of the complete air passage 12, including the air inlet tube 15,

(29) To obtain an even distribution of air pressure over the mouth 14 of the air passage 12, the holes 18 have together a substantially smaller cross section than the cross section of the pressure balance chamber 17. The cross section of the holes 18 may for example be at least 10, preferably at least 25 times smaller than the cross section of the pressure balance chamber, measured in a plane substantially parallel to the plane wherein the holes 18 are arranged. Further, or as an alternative, the volume of the pressure balance chamber 17 may be relatively large, for example at least 25%, preferably at least 40% of a total volume of the air passage 12.

(30) The relative large volume of the pressure balance chamber 17 and/or the relative small cross section of the holes 18, the pressure over the circumference of the pressure balance chamber is substantially equal. As a result, the flow of air to the annular mouth 14 will be equally through the holes 18 resulting in an equal pressure over the annular mouth 14.

(31) It is remarked that the cross section of the air inlet 13 is also substantially smaller than the cross section of the pressure balance chamber 17.

(32) The foam-forming assembly comprises an air inlet channel 20 to introduce air into the container 2. During actuation of the squeeze foamer, the container of the squeeze foamer is pressed in to dispense air and liquid from the container. After dispensing a quantity of foam, the container should return to its original state due to flexibility of the container itself and/or restoring means. The air inlet channel 2 is provided to introduce air into the container 2 to replace the air and liquid dispensed during the dispensing of the foam. The flow of air during this introduction of air into the container is schematically shown in FIG. 3.

(33) On the side arranged on the outside of the clamping section 6a, the valve body 6 has an annular sealing lip 6b which serves as a valve for an air inlet valve which allows air into the container 2 via the air inlet channel 20 when a certain reduced pressure is created in the container 2 as a result of the liquid and air in the container 2 being dispensed. The sealing lip 6b normally seals the passage of the container 2 towards the outside, but will allow a flow of air from outside into the container 2 through air inlet openings 21 and the air inlet channel 20, when there is a reduced pressure in the container 2.

(34) It is desirable that the air that is introduced through the air inlet channel 20 will not go through the liquid in the container 2, so that no foam is formed in the container before actual dispensing of the foam from the foam-forming assembly. Therefore, the air inlet channel 20 is connected to the air passage 12 so that the air can enter the container 2 through the air passage 12 and the air inlet tube 15 to an upper region of the interior of the container 2.

(35) The presence of foam in the air inlet channel 20 may substantially slow down the speed with which air may enter the container 2 via the air inlet channel 20, and thus the time required to restore the original state of the container 2. To avoid that small amounts of foam present in the mouth of the air passage enter the air inlet channel 20, the air inlet channel 20 is connected to the air passage 12 at the location of the pressure balance chamber 17. The wall of the second housing part 4 provides a proper separation between the mouth 14 of the air passage 12 and the air inlet channel 20. The holes 18 have a relative small cross section and are spaced from the mouth 14 in vertical direction so that the chance that foam from the mouth 14 will enter the air inlet channel 20 is very small.

(36) To avoid any deformation of the valve body 6 due to rotation of the second housing part 4 with respect to the third housing part 5 a rotational stop is arranged between the first housing part 3 and the third housing part 5, and between the first housing part 3 and the second housing part 4. Such deformation could come into existence due to the rotational movement of the container with respect to the foam-forming assembly when mounting the foam-forming assembly on the container in case the rotational stop would be absent. Such deformation is undesirable since the deformation may lead to different opening pressures of the valve body 6 and/or leakage of the valve body 6.

(37) A gasket 29 is provided between the first housing part 3 and the container to provide a seal between the first housing part 3 and the container 2. A gasket 29 has the advantage that a proper sealing is obtained between the foam-forming assembly and the container 2. Irregularities in the sealing surface of the container 2 or the first housing part 3, for instance caused by manufacturing, may be taken into account by the material of the gasket 29 which preferably is elastic.

(38) When the container 2 is squeezed, the pressure in the container 2 will increase. Initially, the increasing pressure will ensure that the arcuate section of the valve body 6 is pressed more strongly against the inner annular edge of the mouth 14 of the air passage 12, resulting in an improved sealing between the valve body 6 and the inner annular edge, When the pressure in the container 2 is increased further by squeezing the latter, the arcuate section will at some point move down, as a result of which it will detach from the inner annular edge of the mouth 14 of the air passage 12.

(39) At the moment the valve body 6 becomes detached from the annular sealing edge, both the mouth 10 of the liquid passage 9 and the mouth 14 of the air passage 12 will substantially simultaneously come in communication with each other and the entry ports 30 of the dispensing passage. As a consequence, a mixture of air and liquid will come into existence, which as a result of the pressure which is caused by compressing the container, will flow into the dispensing passage via the entry ports 30.

(40) This mixture of air and liquid will then flow through the small sieves 13a and the constriction 13b, which will produce an (improved) foam. This foam will flow down through the dispensing passage towards the dispensing opening 7, where it will be dispensed.

(41) Thus, upon actuation of the foam-forming assembly, the valve body 6 as it were successively rolls over the inner annular edge of the mouth 14, (i.e. the sealing ring between the first circle with the annular mouth 14 and the second circle with the outlet openings 11 and the entry ports 30), so that the mouths 10, 14, and the entry ports 30 come into fluid communication with each other.

(42) It is remarked that the valve body 6 and the mouths 10 and 14 are configured such that, upon depressing of the container 2, the mouth 14 of the air passage 12 will open just before the mouth 10 of the liquid passage 9, i.e. the mouth 14 will come into fluid communication with the entry ports 30 just before the mouth 10 will come into fluid communication with the entry ports 30. As a result, the foam dispensed from the dispensing device will directly be of good quality. In contrast, when the mouth 10 would open just before the mouth 14, the foam dispensed from the dispensing device may initially be very wet, and when the container is only slightly depressed only liquid may flow from the dispensing opening.

(43) With the construction as presently presented the foam may have the desired quality.

(44) The above-described embodiment of a squeeze foamer has been described in a position where the dispensing opening points downwards. All references to above and/or below are made relative to this position. The dispensing device is designed to be used in this position. However, it is possible to provide an embodiment in which the dispensing device can be turned upside down (inverted with respect to the position shown) in order to dispense foam and/or rest. Such embodiments are deemed to fall within the scope of protection of this invention.

(45) For further details of the construction of the embodiments of the squeeze foamer, reference is made to WO2007/086730, WO2007/086731, WO2007/086732, WO2008/072949 and WO2009/136781, the contents of which are hereby incorporated.

(46) It will be clear to the person skilled in the art that all individual features which have been mentioned with respect to one of the aspects can also be applied in an embodiment according to one of the other aspects of the invention. Such embodiments are thus deemed to fail within the scope of protection of the invention.