PUMP DISPENSERS

Abstract

A pump dispenser has a pump body held down onto the neck of a container by a closure cap, securing by a rotational engagement, typically a screw thread. To supplement security for demanding shipping conditions the cap and neck have a supplementary locking mechanism which engages selectively in the fully screwed-down position of the cap to inhibit its rotational release of the cap. It may have respective hooked lugs of the cap and neck. Inward lugs or catches may be carried on a bottom collar of the cap. The mechanism may be releasable, such as by resilient deformation such as lateral squeezing to disengage a cap lug from a neck lug. Alternatively a barbed retaining collar, engaging beneath a retaining flange on the neck, may connect to the closure such as through frangible links.

Claims

1. A pump dispenser comprising: a container having a neck, and a pump attached to the container for dispensing fluid to be contained in the container in use; a closure cap by which the pump is attached to the container neck with a body of the pump inside the container neck; a securing mechanism comprising respective interengaging securing formations of the closure cap and neck which are operable by relative rotation of the cap and neck to attach and connect the cap fixedly to the neck at a final secured position; and a catch mechanism engageable between the cap and neck selectively in the final secured position to inhibit rotation of the cap relative to the neck away from the final secured position of the securing mechanism.

2. The pump dispenser of claim 1 wherein the securing mechanism is or comprises a screw thread mechanism with respective thread formations on the cap and neck.

3. The pump dispenser of claim 1 wherein the engagement of the catch mechanism between the cap and neck is towards the container side of the securing mechanism.

4. The pump dispenser of claim 1 wherein the catch mechanism comprises respective detent formations on each of the cap and neck which come into engagement at the final secured position thereof.

5. The pump dispenser of claim 4 wherein the cap and/or the neck has one or more circumferentially localized detent formations which come into engagement for a snap, at the final secured position.

6. The pump dispenser of claim 5 wherein the cap and/or the neck has plural circumferentially-spaced detent formations.

7. The pump dispenser of claim 6 wherein one of said detent formation of the catch mechanism on one of the cap and neck has an abrupt abutment side or face, to retain a corresponding detent formation on the other of the cap and neck against movement away from the final closed position, such as rotational movement, in the engaged position, and an oppositely-directed ramp, sloping or compliant side or face to allow said corresponding detent formation on the other of the cap and neck to ride past to reach the engaged position.

8. The pump dispenser of claim 7 wherein the abutment side or face is circumferentially directed relative to the neck, to inhibit relative rotation of neck and cap directly.

9. The pump dispenser of claim 7 wherein the abutment side or face is axially directed relative to the neck, to inhibit rotation indirectly by blocking axial movement of the cap off the neck.

10. The pump dispenser of claim 1 wherein the catch mechanism is releasable by a release action.

11. The pump dispenser of claim 10 wherein the cap comprises a deflectable portion carrying a detent formation of the catch mechanism, and predetermined deflection of said portion disengages the detent formation from a corresponding detent formation of the neck to allow movement of the cap and neck away from the final secured position.

12. The pump dispenser of claim 11 wherein the cap comprises plural said deflectable portions with respective detent formations, whereby the release action requires simultaneous deflection of the plural portions.

13. The pump dispenser of claim 11 wherein the cap comprises an attached collar, preferably at the container end of the cap, and the deflectable portion(s) is/are comprised in said collar or in respective collar portions.

14. The pump dispenser of claim 10 wherein the cap comprises a break-off portion connected to the cap by one or more frangible links and comprising a detent formation of the catch mechanism, whereby the release action comprises forcible detachment of said portion to undo the catch mechanism and allow movement of the cap and neck away from the final secured position.

Description

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0033] Preferred exemplary embodiments of the present invention are now described with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which:

[0034] FIGS. 1 to 3 show a pump module of a known pump dispenser, FIGS. 1 and 3 being axial cross-sections in extended and retracted positions of the plunger thereof and FIG. 2 being an external elevation at smaller scale.

[0035] FIG. 4 is a perspective view from above of a pump dispenser according to a first exemplary embodiment of the present invention.

[0036] FIG. 5 is a fragmentary schematic cross-section through a neck and cap of the first exemplary embodiment at the bottom end and indicating a release action.

[0037] FIG. 6 shows the first exemplary embodiment with the cap partly removed from the neck.

[0038] FIG. 7 is a perspective view from above of a pump dispenser according to a second exemplary embodiment of the present invention.

[0039] FIG. 8 is a fragmentary detail view of the neck and cap of the second exemplary embodiment at the bottom end, indicating a release action.

[0040] FIG. 9 shows the second exemplary embodiment with the cap partly removed from the neck.

[0041] FIG. 10 is a side view of a pump dispenser according to a third exemplary embodiment of the present invention.

[0042] FIG. 11 is an enlarged view of the third exemplary embodiment with part of the cap broken away to show the locking structure.

[0043] FIG. 12 is a side view of a pump dispenser according to a fourth exemplary embodiment of the present invention.

[0044] FIG. 13 shows the interior of the cap of the fourth exemplary embodiment.

[0045] FIG. 14 shows the fourth exemplary embodiment with the cap separated from the neck.

DESCRIPTION OF THE SELECTED EMBODIMENTS

[0046] For the purpose of promoting an understanding of the principles of the invention, reference will now be made to the embodiments illustrated in the drawings and specific language will be used to describe the same. It will nevertheless be understood that no limitation of the scope of the invention is thereby intended. Any alterations and further modifications in the described embodiments, and any further applications of the principles of the invention as described herein are contemplated as would normally occur to one skilled in the art to which the invention relates. One embodiment of the invention is shown in great detail, although it will be apparent to those skilled in the relevant art that some features that are not relevant to the present invention may not be shown for the sake of clarity.

In the following description reference numerals for the general components of the dispenser correspond to those used above with reference to the known dispenser, in self-explanatory fashion.

[0047] In a first exemplary embodiment of the present invention, shown in FIGS. 4-6, an annular collar 80a is part of the cap 5 and is located around the neck 102. In this example, the collar 80a is wider than the cap 5. The collar 80a is connected to the cap 5 through a connecting portion 82b, and in this example the collar 80a extends all the way around in one piece. There is a gap between the upper surface 80 of the collar 80a and the rest of the cap 5, which accommodates the wider collar width compared to the rest of the cap 5. The gap does not extend all the way around. Of course, examples without such a gap can be used.

[0048] FIG. 4 shows the dispenser in a locked position. FIG. 5 is a cross-section through the cap and neck in the locked position. FIG. 6 shows the dispenser in an unlocked and unscrewed position (the pump dispenser is extended), with the cap 5 shown in an elevated position.

[0049] The locking mechanism in this example includes the collar 80a of the cap 5 having two lugs or hooks 83a extending inwardly and engageable with lugs or hooks 101 on the outside of the neck 102. The neck lugs or hooks 101 have a steeply sloping or abutment face 1012 which is capable of engaging with the steeply inclined face of the lugs or hooks 83a of the cap in a locked position. The other face of the lugs or hooks 83a,1013 is less steeply sloped. This face constitutes a sliding ramp. Advantageously, this enables the cap 5 to be screwed on to the neck 102 more easily. Other lug/hook shapes may be suitable without departing from the invention. The collar 80a is flexible and capable of being deformed by the user in the direction of the arrows in FIG. 5 (i.e. towards the interior of the cap, which may be approximately perpendicular to the rotation axis of the plunger). This disengages the lugs or hooks 83a,101 and allows the cap 5 to be unscrewed.

[0050] A second exemplary embodiment of the present invention is shown in FIGS. 7-9. FIG. 7 shows the dispenser in a locked position. FIG. 8 is a cross-section through the cap and neck in the locked position. FIG. 9 shows the dispenser in an unlocked and unscrewed position (the pump dispenser is extended), with the cap 5 shown in an elevated position.

[0051] In this case, the cap 5 has a collar which is in two pieces 703,704 (the collar pieces are the same on each side; other numbers of pieces may alternatively be suitable). These pieces 703,704 are connected to the rest of the cap 5 by pivots 701 also indicated P while downward extending pieces 702 sit the collar on the container 100. Similar to the first example, the neck has two lugs 101 at opposite sides of the neck 102 each with a steeply sloping (abutment) side 1012 and a less steeply sloping (ramp) side 1013. The collar pieces 703,704 in this example are shown with one end which engages (abuts) the steeply sloping face 1013 of the lugs of the neck. The user can unscrew the cap 5 from the neck 102 by compressing the pieces 703,704 at the points shown by arrows in FIG. 8 (i.e. towards the interior of the cap). In this case, the collar pieces 703,704 swing around the bendable pivot point, thereby acting as locking levers and allowing the user to disengage the collar pieces 703,704 from the lugs 101 and thereby allow the cap to be unscrewed. The cap can be screwed on easily. The cap cannot be undone without pressing both the locking levers (collar pieces) at the appropriate ends to release them from the neck abutments 101.

[0052] A third exemplary embodiment of the present invention is shown in FIGS. 10 to 11. The cap 5 has a collar or retaining ring 60. In FIG. 11, part of the cap 5 and retaining ring/collar 60 are broken away for illustration. The retaining ring/collar 60 is attached to the rest of the cap 5 by a plurality of breakable or frangible connecting links 605. The retaining ring/collar 60 has an external piece or annulus 601 to which the links 605 are connected, and a sloping inner piece or annulus 602. The cylindrical external annulus 601 connects hingedly to the conical (upwardly convergent) inner annulus 602 around their bottom edges. The sloping inner piece 602 connects to a continuous ring 1020 which extends around the neck 102. As seen in the drawings, when the cap is screwed down onto the neck, as it approaches its final position the inner annulus is stretched around and snaps past the retaining ring 1020. It then acts as a one-way barb preventing the cap from rising back up the neck, and thereby preventing it from coming undone. For the cap to be unscrewed, a user must exert sufficient force (by forceful unscrewing of the cap) to break the links 605.

[0053] A fourth exemplary embodiment of the present invention is shown in FIGS. 12 to 14. FIG. 12 shows the dispenser with the closure cap in a locked position. FIG. 13 is a perspective view of the inside of the cap 5. FIG. 14 shows the dispenser in an unlocked and unscrewed position with the cap 5 shown in an elevated position.

[0054] In this embodiment the closure and locking mechanism comprises two or three lugs 55 attached to the cap 5 and projecting inwardly. These lugs 55 have a contoured surface. There is a protrusion 551 at the top of the lug 55, at one end. This protrusion 551 is for locking engagement in a corresponding concavity or notch 1216 on the lug 1210 on the neck 1200. In this example, the neck 1200 has thread-like features 1201generally helical respective guide ramps for the cap lugswith a relatively steep gradient for the cap 5 to be twisted onto the neck 1200. The lug 55 also has an end without a protrusion 551. This end is shaped to fit into the available space 1220 in the thread or neck formation (FIG. 14). This space 1220 is a track vertically confined between the upper side of a horizontal final portion of the guide ramp 1201it also has an end stopand the downward face of the lug 1210 having the notch 1216. The track closely fits the cap lug 55 so that the protrusion or detent 551 at the trailing end of the lug clicks firmly into the notch 1216 at the end of tightening down the cap to inhibit release. Of course, other locking lug shapes may be used.

[0055] Advantageously, as shown in FIG. 13, the lug 55 on the cap 5 is sloped (decreases in thickness) towards the bottom (see arrow on FIG. 13). This slope provides a ramp. As shown in FIG. 14, the lug 1210 on the neck 1200 increases in thickness from the top to the bottom (the bottom having the contouring or notch 1216). This sloping or ramping 1211 of the corresponding parts of the cap and neck lugs 55,1210 allows the cap to be slotted easily onto the neck 1200 i.e. the lugs 55,1210 slide over each other. The closure is thus designed to be snap-and-twist on and twist off, in the fashion of a bayonet fitting. In other examples, the lugs 55,1210 need not be sloped.