PUMP DISPENSER AND CONTAINERS

Abstract

A pump dispenser comprising a container having a neck (6) to which the pump is attached. A pump body (1) has an outward flange (91) through which it is supported on the edge of the container neck (6). A body/neck rotation stop mechanism (64,7) is provided by an interlock engagement between the pump body and the container neck, and has widely-spaced interlock projections (64) on the container neck (6), e.g. one or two projections, each having a circumferentially-directed abutment face (642). A series of spaced interlock teeth (71) projects down from the outward flange (91) of the pump body and these have respective abutment faces (711) to engage the neck projections and limit relative rotation of the pump body and neck. This can assure reliable action of a plunger-locking mechanism of the dispenser.

Claims

1-26. (canceled)

27. A pump attachable to a fluid container having a neck to which the pump is attached, the pump comprising: a pump body defining a pump chamber, the pump body having a locating formation engaging the container neck, and a plunger reciprocable relative to the pump body in a pumping stroke to alter the volume of the pump chamber; a lock mechanism comprising respective lock formations of the plunger and pump body, the lock mechanism having a locked condition wherein the plunger is locked against reciprocation and an unlocked condition wherein the plunger can reciprocate for pumping, and wherein a release movement of the lock mechanism from the locked condition comprises a relative rotation of the plunger and pump body around an axis of the plunger; and a catch mechanism comprising respective catch formations of the plunger and pump body which are engageable selectively in a locked condition of the lock mechanism, to prevent or inhibit the release movement thereof, and wherein a body/neck rotation stop mechanism provided by an interlock engagement between the pump body and the container neck to inhibit relative rotation thereof.

28. The pump of claim 27 having a said catch mechanism wherein a said catch formation is or comprises a projection on one of the plunger and pump body, having a circumferentially-directed abutment surface to make a catch engagement against a corresponding abutment surface of the other of the plunger and pump body, to provide the engaged condition of the catch mechanism in the locked condition of the lock mechanism.

29. The pump of claim 28 wherein said circumferentially-directed abutment surface is inclined so that release of the catch mechanism requires application of at least a threshold turning force between the plunger and pump body around the plunger axis.

30. The pump of claim 27 having a said catch mechanism wherein one or both of the catch formations has a slide, ramp or cam formation over which the other catch formation rides as they rotate towards engagement, with deformation of one or both of the catch formations against a resilient force, until oppositely directed abutment surfaces of the catch formations come into register and the deformation is relaxed on making the engagement.

31. The pump of claim 27 having a said catch mechanism wherein at least one of the pump body and the plunger has plural catch formations distributed circumferentially.

32. The pump of claim 27 having a said catch mechanism wherein a said plunger catch formation is, or is on, a radially-extending edge of a radially-extending web of a head of the plunger.

33. The pump of claim 27 wherein a said plunger catch formation is, or is on, an axially-extending edge of a radially-extending web of a head of the plunger.

Description

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0045] Embodiments of our proposals are now described in detail with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which:

[0046] FIG. 1 is an axial cross-section through a pump dispenser, with the plunger in a retracted (locked down) position, showing the general components;

[0047] FIG. 2 is a similar view with the plunger in the extended position;

[0048] FIG. 3 shows the top of the pump body collar and FIG. 4 shows the underside of the plunger head, with features of a plunger catch mechanism;

[0049] FIGS. 5 and 6 are exploded lateral and perspective views showing a pump body cylinder component, closure cap and threaded container neck finish of the dispenser (the rest of the container and pump being omitted for clarity);

[0050] FIGS. 7 and 8 are an elevation and a cross-section of the components of FIG. 5 in the assembled position;

[0051] FIG. 9 is a cross-section through the assembly at IX-IX of FIG. 7;

[0052] FIGS. 10, 11 and 12 are respectively a top view, bottom view and side elevation of the pump body cylinder component.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0053] Firstly, general features of a pump are described.

[0054] FIGS. 1 and 2 show a moveable-nozzle pump with lock-down capability: a type of pump with which the present proposals are implemented.

[0055] The pump has a body 1 and a plunger 2. A closure cap 5 with internal threads 55 is for mounting the pump on the neck of a container.

[0056] The body 1 comprises a cylinder component 9 and a body insert component 8. The cylinder component 9 has a top annular rim 92 projecting up through a hole in the cap 5 and a radial flange 91 engaged beneath the cap, so that the cap 5 clamps the flange 91 down against the top of the container neck in use. The main lower part of the cylinder component 9 projects down axially into the container interior, converging at its bottom end to define an inlet valve seat for an inlet valve 113 e.g. a ball valve, and a socket for a dip tube 16.

[0057] The body insert component 8 is also generally cylindrical in form and comprises an inner tubular part 81 and a top collar 82. The inner tubular part 81 fits down inside the body cylinder component 9 with a slight radial clearance (maintained by small protecting nibs), and has a partly closed bottom end 85 with a central opening for passage of the stem 21 of the plunger 2. The interior of the insert's bottom end 85 around this hole serves as a seat for the bottom end of a pump spring 17. At its top end the insert 8 has a radially projecting collar 82 with an upward surface or deck 821 facing up towards the head 29 of the plunger 2 and a downward peripheral skirt 823 formed in two generally concentric layers, the inner having snap formations for engaging onto the top rim projection 92 of the cylinder component 9, and the outer carrying an external lock-down thread 183. Adjacent the cylinder component top rim 92 the inner part of the insert component 8 has a circumferential series of short longitudinal fins 825. With the slight clearance between the two concentric walls of the collar skirt 823, which allows slight flexion of the inner wall with the snap formations, this fitting arrangement allows a tight snap fit between the body cylinder and insert components 8,9.

[0058] The plunger 2 has a stem 21 as mentioned, with a head 2 at the top having a laterally-directed nozzle 211. The head 29 has a shaped outer shroud 212 to provide user comfort, and an inner tubular downward extension 205 into which the stem 21 is plugged, with annular clearance between them along at least a portion of the extension and stem to receive and seat the top end of the pump spring 17. The outer shroud 212 has a cylindrical skirt portion 291 at its bottom edge, dimensioned to fit closely around the body collar 82 and having internal lock-down threads 2911 engageable with the external lock-down threads 183 of the collar 82 by turning the head 29. The head also features a set of internal reinforcing webs 292, each with a lower edge 295 forming a radial rib. When the plunger is screwed down onto the collar into the locked-down position shown in FIG. 1, these edges 295 act together as stop abutments against the flat top surface or deck 821 of the collar 82 so that the plunger cannot be over-tightened and cause damage. In this embodiment there are four reinforcing webs 292.

[0059] The plunger stem 21 defines an internal discharge channel 24 extending up from a set of generally radially-directed inlet openings 241 in the stem at its bottom end to a further discharge channel portion 244 through the nozzle 211 of the head 29. At the bottom of the stem 21 a piston 28 forms a sliding seal. The piston has a limited axial sliding movement relative to the plunger stem 21 between a closed position in which it closes off the inlet openings 241 (FIG. 2, where the piston is pushed to its lowest position relative to the stem 21 by abutment against the bottom end 85 of the insert component 8), and an open position in which it allows access to the openings 241 (FIG. 1 shows the piston 28 moved to this upper position relative to the stem 21). In the locked-down position (FIG. 1) an end plug portion 215 of the stem blocks the inlet valve conduit altogether, so that there is no flow through the pump. Outlet flow can occur only as the plunger is being depressed. The sliding seal piston 28 has the advantage that product cannot be expelled through the pump by squeezing the container, whatever the position of the plunger.

[0060] FIGS. 3 and 4 show a catch mechanism. The underside of the plunger head 29 is provided with a plurality of catch formations by using the downward edges 295 or radial ribs of the internal plunger head reinforcement webs 292. The radial edges 295 are enhanced with thinner foldable tabs 2929 formed integrally with the webs. Correspondingly, the top surface or deck 821 of the pump body collarsee FIG. 4has a set of four receiving pockets 185 spaced equidistantly around it, each wide enough to receive one of the plunger tabs 2929. Each receiving pocket 185 has an abrupt or perpendicular abutment surface 855 opposing the direction of unscrewing of the lock-down threads. The height of the abrupt abutment faces 855 is enhanced by building up from the surface of the deck a ratchet tooth formation 851 having the abrupt face 855 and a ramped face 854 directed in the opposite rotational direction. For locking down the pump plunger 2, e.g. for shipping, the plunger is rotated clockwise while being pushed down, to engage the lock-down threads 183,2911. As these move further into engagement, the projecting tabs 2929 gradually come into engagement with the top 821 of the body collar 82, sliding over its surface and progressively folding around the hinge regions 2928 where they join the more rigid reinforcing web 292 above. As lock-down approaches completion the four tabs just reach their assigned pockets 185, with the tabs 2929 then being folded flat to the deck 821. The ramp faces 854 help the tabs and to deform sufficiently to reach the pockets 185. The ends of the tabs then face the perpendicular abutment faces 855 of the respective pockets. From this position, unscrewing the lock-down of the plunger requires the tabs to be broken away from their corresponding rib edges or reinforcing webs which requires a substantial threshold turning force, providing an effective catch against accidental unlocking of the plunger.

[0061] The axial extent of the abutment engagements between the catch formations is small relative to the overall pitch of the lock-down threads so that even half a turn carries the catch formations out of axial register with one another. After the initial resistance offered by the catch mechanism, the lock-down is released against only the friction of the threads, without inconvenient intermittent extra resistance from the catch mechanism.

[0062] The skilled person will appreciate that the principles for making catch engagements and lock-down engagements embodied in the above examples may be embodied in numerous other ways without changing the nature of the invention, as explained in WO2016/009187 the entire disclosure of which is incorporated herein by reference.

[0063] FIGS. 5 to 12 exemplify a rotational stop feature embodying the present proposals and acting between the pump body and the container neck. The figures show the container neck portion 6, with an external thread 61 and an adjacent wall portion 69 (the rest of the container is omitted for clarity). The neck is generally cylindrical. It has a main wall 62 of a larger wall thickness, and adjacent its upper edge an inward step 66 of the outer surface leading to a reduced-thickness portion 63 at the edge. The overall thickness is conventional, however, e.g. the main wall being about 2.5 mm thick (excluding the thread). The reduced-thickness portion 63 and step 66 extend right around the neck edge except at two diametrically opposed positions where an integrally moulded outward projection 64, generally of block form and with oppositely circumferentially-directed flat faces 641,642, interrupts the step. One face 642the faces are in planes perpendicular to the circumferenceconstitutes an abutment face for the rotational stop. The projection 64 merges integrally into the wall at its bottom face and at its inner side, projecting neither above the edge nor radially outside the main wall thickness. As described previously, these projections are formed on the neck at the two opposed positions remote from the extrusion blow mould parting line, so that the abutment faces 642 lie in the draw direction and are kept clean and undamaged in moulding despite their sharp form. No abutment projections are formed in the intervening track or clearance segments 65 of the annular region above the step 66, which segments would lie closer to the mould parting line in manufacture.

[0064] The body component 1 defines a body cylinder 9 (in which a pump piston of the plunger operates in use), the top outward flange 91 and the upwardly projecting annular rim 92 extending above the flange for connection to the body collar (not shown in these figures). The cylinder component 1 fits down inside the neck 6 and is held in place by the closure cap 5, whose flat top wall 51 has a central opening 59 up through which the top connector 92 of the body component 1 projects (FIG. 3). The cap 5 has internal threads 55 which tighten down onto the neck threads 61; in this position (FIG. 4) the top outward flange 91 of the body component 1 lies down on the edge of the neck 6 and is clamped against it by the top wall 51 of the cap 5.

[0065] The underside of the flange 91 has characteristic formations. One is a downwardly-projecting sealing skirt 93, which plugs with interference into the reduced-thickness wall portion of the neck, and makes a seal for the container interior (obviating the conventional discrete sealing ring). Spaced outwardly of the sealing skirt 93, around the extreme periphery of the flange 91, is an interlock formation generally designated 7 and consisting of plural e.g. eight downwardly-projecting teeth 71, spaced evenly around the circumference, with clearances 72 between them which are larger than the teeth so that the teeth occupy less than 30% of the circumference: about 25% in this example). As seen in FIGS. 9 and 11, these interlock teeth have, facing anti-clockwise, flat radial abutment faces 711, while the opposed part is a buttress portion 712 for mechanical strength. The exact form is not critical. The illustrated form shows a rear cutaway of the buttress portion to avoid a thick moulding. The buttress edge may be inclined rather than axial to help fill the mould cavity [not shown].

[0066] In an alternative embodiment [not shown] the downwardly-projecting teeth may be grouped in sets, e.g. as two widely spaced sets of three, rather than being all spaced evenly.

[0067] As the components are assembled axially together the downward teeth 71 of the flange 91 easily enter the large clearance segments 65 on the corresponding region of the bottle neck, with negligible risk of interference that might damage the abutment faces or cause tilting.

[0068] With the components assembled (FIGS. 7, 8) the long clearance segments 65 (FIG. 1) between the two neck projections 64 constitute tracks along which the body flange teeth 71 can move, in the anticlockwise direction, until an initial pair of them (after a rotation of less than .sup.th of a turn) meet the abutment face 642 of the respective projection 64, symmetrically at opposite sides of the neck for stability and strength. The smaller angles between the teeth 71 reduce the turn angle needed to reach lock. The skilled person will understand that unlike the bottle neck, the body cylinder component 9 is moulded with axial relative movement of the mould, so that flat abutment faces perpendicular to the circumference can be made on any number of teeth 71 around the component 9. The abutment faces 642 of the two opposed neck projections 64 are the only abutments around the neck edge, so they both always engage. They are highly efficient, in that they have a low tendency to deform out of engagement by overridingbecause their faces are accurately circumferentially-facingand in that they are strongbeing connected integrally into the neck wall at both the bottom and back of the step. That is, their rotational locking strength relative to their bulk is unusually high.

[0069] To strengthen the rotational lock further, the inner surface of the cap 5 near the top, where it surrounds the annular region of the locking formations 64,71, has a retaining band region 58 where the wall is thickened to bring the inner surface close in to the outer surfaces of the teeth 71 on the pump body flange. The retaining band region 58 strengthens the lock by preventing outward bending of the teeth 71, which would be a mode of possible failure. In trials we obtained body/neck lock failure strengths from 15 to 20 lb-f [1.7 to 2.25 Nm] and above with the forms shown, on a polypropylene pump body and HDPE blow moulded container with 2.5 mm neck wall.

[0070] The top collar 82 of the body insert component 8 (which makes a catch engagement with the plunger as shown above) snaps onto the top projecting rim 92 of the body cylinder component 9, which has snap ribs 921. These are interrupted by a pair of axial notches 922, engaged by corresponding axial ribs on the inside of the body collar 82 (not shown here) so that the components are locked together rotationally.

[0071] When the user holds the container and turns the locked-down plunger 2 anticlockwise to release it, the turning force applied by the user acts initially against the catch mechanism of the plunger lock, urging the body collar 81 anticlockwise as it reacts to the user force. The body collar/insert is rotationally locked to the body cylinder component 9 at the notch 922, as described (or in other embodiments may be in one piece with the body cylinder). For modest forces the friction in the assembly would normally resist movement sufficiently to provide a reaction allowing the catch to release. However in some cases, such as when the assembly is small or the threshold release force of the plunger catch is high for extra security, the body tends to turn relative to the container neck. In this case the present proposals operate: abutments between the body teeth 71 and the abutment projections 64 on the neck formation act to prevent any turning of the body relative to the container, so that the plunger catch release operates reliably.

[0072] FIG. 6 shows a further optional enhancement, in the provision of a directional ratchet tooth 68 on the neck formation, which can interact with directional teeth 57see FIGS. 1 and 2around the inside of the bottom of the cap 5, so that the cap after being tightened is held against coming loose from the neck. Other ways of providing rotational locking of the cap to the neck are described in our WO2016/009192.