Abstract
A cap (50) for a cartridge (10) comprises fastening means (52) for fastening the cap (50) to a cartridge opening (36) and a valve (60) configured to control liquid flow from inside the cartridge (10) through the cartridge opening (36) and the cap (50) under negative pressure wherein the valve (60) is a deformable ball (90) which covers one or more flow openings (92) in a non-deformed state (NS) and deforms to allow flow through the one or more flow openings (92) in the deformed state (DS). A cartridge comprising a rigid outer body, a flexible inner body at least partially inside the outer body, a cartridge opening, and a cap for the cartridge comprising fastening means for fastening the cap to the cartridge opening; and a valve configured to control liquid flow from inside the cartridge through the cartridge opening and the cap under negative pressure, wherein the valve consists of one of the following: i) a silicon cross piece, ii) a duckbill valve, iii) a deformable ball which covers one or more flow openings in a non-deformed state (NS) and deforms to allow flow through the one or more flow openings in the deformed state (DS).
Claims
1. (canceled)
2. (canceled)
3. (canceled)
4. (canceled)
5. (canceled)
6. (canceled)
7. (canceled)
8. (canceled)
9. (canceled)
10. (canceled)
11. (canceled)
12. (canceled)
13. (canceled)
14. (canceled)
15. (canceled)
16. (canceled)
17. A cap (50) for a cartridge (10), the cap comprising: fastening means (52) for fastening the cap (50) to a cartridge opening (36); and a valve (60) configured to control liquid flow from inside the cartridge (10) through the cartridge opening (36) and the cap (50) under negative pressure, wherein the valve (60) is a deformable ball (90) which covers one or more flow openings (92) in a non-deformed state (NS) and deforms to allow flow through the one or more flow openings (92) in the deformed state (DS).
18. The cap (50) according to claim 17, wherein the cap (50) further comprises a pressure ring (62) for securing one or more valve parts.
19. The cap (50) according to claim 17, wherein the fastening means (52) comprises one or more of a thread, groove, shoulder or other connecting part.
20. The cap (50) according to claim 17, wherein the one or more flow openings (92) extend in a radial direction (R) from a central axis (C) of the cap (50).
21. The cap (50) according to claim 17, wherein the ball (90) comprises silicone or rubber.
22. The cap (50) according to claim 17, wherein the ball (90) deforms through compressive forces.
23. The cap (50) according to claim 22, wherein the compressive forces are from an injection pin (46).
24. A cartridge (10) comprising: a rigid outer body (12); a flexible inner body (14) at least partially inside the outer body (12); a cartridge opening (36); and a cap (50) for the cartridge comprising: fastening means (52) for fastening the cap (50) to the cartridge opening (36); and a valve (60) configured to control liquid flow from inside the cartridge (10) through the cartridge opening (36) and the cap (50) under negative pressure, wherein the valve (60) is a deformable ball (90) which covers one or more flow openings (92) in a non-deformed state (NS) and deforms to allow flow through the one or more flow openings (92) in the deformed state (DS).
25. The cartridge (10) according to claim 24, wherein the valve (60) of the cap (50) extends at least partially over the cartridge opening (36) to control liquid flow from the flexible inner body (14) through the cartridge opening (36) and the cap (50).
26. The cartridge (10) according to claim 24, wherein the valve is a deformable ball (90) which covers one or more flow openings (92) in a non-deformed state (NS) and deforms to allow flow through the one or more flow openings (92) in the deformed state (DS), wherein the one or more flow openings (92) extend in a radial direction (R) from a central axis (C) of the cap (50).
27. The cartridge (10) according to claim 26, wherein the ball (90) deforms through compressive forces, preferably the compressive forces are from an injection pin (46).
28. The cartridge (10) according to claim 24, wherein the cartridge (10) is configured to be inserted into a cleaning appliance (200).
Description
FIGURES
[0053] FIG. 1A shows a longitudinal view of a container for a cleaning product;
[0054] FIG. 1B shows a transversal cross-sectional view of a container for a cleaning product;
[0055] FIG. 1C shows an enlarged area of FIG. 1A around a cap portion of the container for the cleaning product;
[0056] FIG. 2 illustrates a cartridge containing an amount of cleaning product connected to a cleaning appliance;
[0057] FIG. 3A illustrates a cross-sectional view of a cartridge filled and prior to use,
[0058] FIG. 3B shows the cartridge of FIG. 3A in a partially used state, and
[0059] FIG. 3C shows the cartridge of FIG. 3A in an empty or almost fully used state;
[0060] FIG. 4A shows a front view of a cartridge with the cap;
[0061] FIG. 4B shows a cross-sectional view of the cap portion of the cartridge of FIG. 4A and with a cross-valve;
[0062] FIG. 4C illustrates a cross-sectional view of the cap portion of the cartridge of FIG. 4A connected to a negative pressure device; and
[0063] FIG. 5A illustrates a cross-sectional view of the cap portion of a cartridge with a duckbill valve;
[0064] FIG. 5B shows the cap of FIG. 5A connected to a negative pressure device;
[0065] FIG. 6A illustrates a cross-sectional view of the cap portion of a cartridge with a deformable ball valve; and
[0066] FIG. 6B shows the cap of FIG. 6A connected to a negative pressure device.
EXAMPLES
[0067] The invention will now be further described with reference to the following non-limiting embodiments and with reference to the drawings. The drawings are only schematic and are not limiting. In the drawings, the size, shape and placement of some of the elements may be exaggerated and not drawn to scale for illustration purposes. The dimensions and the relative dimensions do not correspond to actual reductions to practice of the invention.
[0068] FIGS. 1A and 1B show a longitudinal and a transversal cross-sectional view of a container for a cleaning product, respectively. The container has a form of a cartridge that is suitable to be the inserted into a cleaning appliance 200 with an automatic dosing function of the cleaning product.
[0069] The cartridge 10 comprises a rigid outer body 12, and a flexible inner body 14 inside the outer body 12. The outer body 12 shown has a shape of a prism with a rectangular base 11, four side faces 15 and an outer body opening 36. The inner body 14 has an inner body opening 34 and is configured to accommodate an amount of the cleaning product in a cleaning product space 16.
[0070] As shown in FIGS. 1A and 1C, the inner body opening 34 and outer body opening 36 are aligned such that the cleaning product can be easily discharged from the cleaning product space 16. The inner body 14 and the outer body 12 are connected around their respective openings by connection means 22. The cartridge 10 has a cap 50 placed on the base 11 of the outer body 12, around the outer body opening 36. The cap 50 can include means for control of the cleaning product flow, which will be discussed in more detail in relation to FIGS. 4-6. The cap 50 is mounted onto the outer body opening 36 by fastening means 52. The inner body 14 is additionally fixed to the outer body 12 by series of linear connections 26 along a longitudinal direction X. FIG. 1B shows an example in which the inner body 14 is connected to each side face 15 of the outer body 12. The linear connections 26 are formed by connecting an outside surface of the inner body 28 to an inside surface of the outer body 32.
[0071] FIG. 2 illustrates the cartridge 10 containing an amount of cleaning product 42 connected to the cleaning appliance 200. The connection is formed by coupling a coupling insert 18 placed on the cap 50 to a negative pressure device 44 of the cleaning appliance 200.
[0072] The cap 50 further comprises a cap opening 54 which allows liquid to flow through the cap 50. In this manner a liquid conduit 24 is formed between the cartridge 10 and the cleaning appliance 200. Under negative pressure, the cleaning product 42 is discharged from the cleaning product space 16, through the cap opening 54 and the negative pressure device 44 into the cleaning appliance 200, as shown by the flow arrows in FIG. 2.
[0073] Three different working stages of the cartridge 10 are shown in FIGS. 3A-3C, which show cross-sectional views of cartridge 10 with outer body 12 and inner body 14 at different stages of fill of the inner body 14. FIG. 3A illustrates the cartridge filled and prior to use, FIG. 3B shows the cartridge 10 in a partially used state, and FIG. 3C shows an empty or almost fully used state.
[0074] FIG. 3A illustrates the cartridge prior to use when the cleaning product space 16 is completely filled with the cleaning product 42. The inner body 14 is stretched to maximize volume of the cleaning product space 16, and the inner body 14 almost completely coincides with the outer body 12. When the cartridge 10 is in use, the cleaning product 42 is periodically discharged from the cartridge 10. This situation is shown in FIG. 3B. As the cleaning product 42 is discharged, the volume of the cleaning product space 16 decreases and the inner body 14 separates from the outer body 12 except around linear connections 26. At the same time, a volume of an unused space 17 increases. The unused space 17 is the space inside the (rigid) outer body 12 and outside the flexible inner body 14, which fills with air as the cleaning product is discharged and the inner body 14 decreases in volume. The volume of the cleaning product space 16 and the volume of the unused space 17 together always add to a volume of the outer body 12. Consequently, as the volume of the cleaning product space is decreased when the cleaning product 42 is discharged, the volume of the unused space 17 increases. The outer body 12 has air openings 19 away from the linear connections 26 or other means that allow pressure leveling between the unused space and the environment. FIG. 3C illustrates the cartridge 10 when the cleaning product 42 has been mostly or completely used. The cleaning product space 16 is minimized in this case, while the volume of the unused space 17 is maximal.
[0075] In order to control the liquid flow from the cartridge 10 and prevent the spilling of the cleaning product 42 when the cartridge 10 is not connected to the cleaning appliance 200, a valve 60 is placed on or in the cap 50, and over the cap opening 54. The valve 60 can have the form of a silicon cross piece 70 (FIGS. 4A-4C), a duckbill valve 80 (FIGS. 5A-5B) or a deformable ball 90 (FIGS. 6A-6C).
[0076] FIG. 4A shows the front view of the cartridge 10 with the cap 50 and cross valve 60. The valve 60 is placed over the cap opening 54. In this case, the valve 60 is the silicon cross piece 70. This valve has four flaps 72 formed by two perpendicular slits extending through the center of the silicon cross piece 70. FIG. 4B shows the cross-sectional view of the cap 50 with the silicon cross piece 70. The cap opening 54 is bound in the radial direction by an edge of the opening 56. The flaps 72 extend in a radial direction R from a central axis C of the cap opening 54 towards an edge of the opening 56. The silicon cross piece 70 is placed around the edge of the opening 56 and fastened by a pressure ring 62 that extends radially around the edge of the opening 56 and the outer edge of the cross piece. FIG. 4C illustrates the situation when the cap 50 is connected to the negative pressure device 44 of the cleaning appliance. Under the negative pressure, the flaps 72 open and the liquid conduit 24 is formed between the cleaning product space 16 and the cleaning appliance, shown by the flow arrows.
[0077] FIG. 5A illustrates a preferred type of the valve, the duckbill valve 80. Similarly as in FIGS. 4A-4C with the silicon cross-valve, the duckbill valve 80 is placed over the cap opening 54 and fastened to the edge of the opening 56 by the pressure ring 62. The duckbill valve has two flaps 82 which form a seal 59 around the central axis C of the cap when the cartridge 10 is not in use to prevent spillage of the cleaning product 42.
[0078] FIG. 5B shows the cap 50 when connected to the negative pressure device 44 of the cleaning appliance 200. The negative pressure device 44 has an injection pin 46 which opens the seal 59 to form the liquid conduit 24 between the cleaning product space 16 and the cleaning appliance 200. The contents then flow from inside the cartridge 10 out the valve 80 and cap 50 for use.
[0079] FIG. 6A shows the cap 50 with the deformable ball 90. The cap 50 has a ball space 58 placed in the center of the cap 50 and one or more flow openings 92 that extend radially around the ball space 58. The ball 90 sits within the ball space 58 and a closing ring 94 is placed around the cap opening 54 such that the ball stays within the ball space 58 and cannot escape. The flow openings 92 allow passage of the cleaning product from the cleaning product space 16 into the ball space 58 and out of cartridge 10. However, when the cartridge 10 is not in use, the ball 90 covers the openings 92, forming a seal that prevents spillage or flow of the cleaning product out of the cartridge 10.
[0080] When in use, the cartridge 10 is connected to the negative pressure device 44 via the cap 50, as illustrated in FIG. 6B. The injection pin 46 of the negative pressure device 44 applies a force and deforms the ball 90. The ball 90 is deformed such that it moves away from the closing ring 94, and allows for flow through the flow openings 92. In this manner, the liquid conduit 24 is formed from the cleaning product space 16, through the flow openings 92 and the ball space 58, to the negative pressure device 44.
[0081] While the invention has been described with reference to exemplary embodiments and examples, it will be understood by those skilled in the art that various changes may be made and equivalents may be substituted for elements thereof without departing from the scope of the invention. In addition, many modifications may be made to adapt a particular situation or material to the teachings of the invention without departing from the essential scope thereof. Therefore, it is intended that the invention not be limited to the particular embodiments disclosed, but that the invention will include all embodiments falling within the scope of the appended claims.
