WALL-MOUNTED METERING DISPENSER

Abstract

A wall-mounted metering dispenser for a liquid, having a replaceable container and a wall bracket, and having a removal apparatus for removing liquid from the container in a metered manner. The wall bracket has a first fixing location having a fixed retention element for the base region of the container, and a second fixing location having a sleeve which can is separable from or movable relative to the wall bracket which retains the upper region of the container. The removal apparatus is arranged on or integrated in the sleeve and includes a metering pump having a pump chamber that is insertable in the container opening and a pump valve and an actuation element that is movable relative to the container and cooperates with the pump valve and has a liquid discharge opening connected to the pump chamber via a discharge channel. The actuation element is guided in the sleeve.

Claims

1. A wall-mounted metering dispenser for providing and removing a liquid, the dispenser comprising: a replaceable container (1) for the liquid; a wall bracket (2) configured for connecting the wall-mounted metering dispenser to a structural arrangement; a removal apparatus for removing liquid from the container (1) in a metered manner; the container (1) comprises a base region (6) having a container base and, on an opposite side, an upper region (9) having a removal opening (15); the wall bracket (2) comprises first and second mutually spaced-apart fixing locations (3, 7) for the container (1), the first fixing location (3, 7) including a fixed retention element for the base region (6) of the container (1), the container (1) being insertable in or placeable on the retention element to retain the base region (6) of the container (1) in a positive-locking or non-positive-locking manner at the first fixing location (3), and the second fixing location (7) including a sleeve (8) which is separable from or movable relative to the wall bracket (2) and which is fixable to the wall bracket (2) in order to retain the upper region (9) of the container (1); the removal apparatus is arranged on the sleeve (8) or is at least partially integrated therein; and the removal apparatus comprises a metering pump which includes a pump body (17) that is insertable in a removal opening (15) of the container (1) and which has a pump chamber and pump valve and an actuation element (10) which is movable relative to the container (1) and is constructed for mechanical cooperation with the pump valve and includes a discharge opening (12) for the liquid, with the discharge opening being connected to the pump chamber via a discharge channel (11), and the actuation element (10) is guided in the sleeve (8).

2. The wall-mounted metering dispenser as claimed in claim 1, wherein the retention element for the base region (6) of the container (1) comprises a hook-shaped component (4) which engages in a correspondingly shaped recess (13) in the base region of the container (1).

3. The wall-mounted metering dispenser as claimed in claim 1, wherein the retention element for the base region (6) of the container (1) comprises a plate- or pan-shaped component (28) or a basket configured to receive the base region (6) of the container (1) and to secure the base region of the container in a positive-locking or non-positive-locking manner so as to prevent lateral sliding.

4. The wall-mounted metering dispenser as claimed in claim 1, wherein the second fixing location (7) has a snap-fitting snap-fit connection for fixing the sleeve (8) to the wall bracket (2) which is releasable only by a corresponding release tool or wrench.

5. The wall-mounted metering dispenser as claimed in claim 1, wherein the removal opening (15) of the container (1) is a bottleneck having an outer thread (16) and the sleeve (8) has an inner thread (19) which fits in said outer thread (16).

6. The wall-mounted metering dispenser as claimed in claim 5, wherein the sleeve (8) includes a reverse rotation prevention member (20) to retain the outer thread (16) of the bottleneck in the inner thread (19).

7. The wall-mounted metering dispenser as claimed in claim 6, wherein the reverse rotation prevention member (20) comprises a number of teeth (23) which are arranged such that they contact at least one of the bottleneck or the outer thread (16) during screwing into the inner thread (19) of the sleeve (8), and which are configured to be at least one of shaped or to be resiliently deformable such that the teeth prevent unscrewing of the outer thread (16) from the inner thread (19) without being destroyed.

8. The wall-mounted metering dispenser as claimed in claim 7, wherein the sleeve (8) comprises a plastics material and the teeth (23) of the reverse rotation prevention member are configured from resiliently bendable tongues formed on the sleeve and which approximately tangentially abut at least one of the bottleneck or the outer thread (16) thereof.

9. The wall-mounted metering dispenser as claimed in claim 8, wherein the bottleneck is configured as a locking wheel with a ring comprising tooth arrangements (22) each having a flat flank and a steep flank such that the teeth (23) of the reverse rotation prevention member act as detent pawls.

10. The wall-mounted metering dispenser as claimed in claim 1, wherein the discharge opening (12) for the liquid is located at a tip of a discharge spout on the actuation element, and the sleeve (8) has a recess (13) for the discharge spout, in which the discharge spout is introduced during a pump stroke.

11. The wall-mounted metering dispenser as claimed in claim 1, wherein the container (1) includes at least one transparent or translucent stripe, which extends from the upper region (9) as far as the base region (6), to indicate a filling level.

12. The wall-mounted metering dispenser as claimed in claim 3, wherein the retention element a flanged, shaped or chamfered edge (29) or projections which project peripherally and which are bent over.

Description

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0030] Two embodiments of a wall-mounted metering dispenser which is configured according to the invention are described and explained in greater detail below with reference to the appended drawings, wherein inventively significant features may also be contained in the description of the Figures but the invention is not limited by the specific features which are described by way of example. In the drawings:

[0031] FIG. 1 shows an isometric view of an embodiment of a wall-mounted metering dispenser according to the invention;

[0032] FIG. 2 shows a front view of the wall-mounted metering dispenser from FIG. 1;

[0033] FIG. 3 shows a sectioned view in the plane A-A from FIG. 2;

[0034] FIG. 4 shows a schematic, exploded illustration of the wall-mounted metering dispenser from FIG. 1;

[0035] FIG. 5 shows a plan view of the sleeve of the wall-mounted metering dispenser;

[0036] FIG. 6 shows a section in the plane B-B from FIG. 5;

[0037] FIG. 7 shows a plan view of the upper region of a container;

[0038] FIG. 8 shows a front view of a second embodiment of a wall-mounted metering dispenser according to the invention;

[0039] FIG. 9 shows a side view of the wall-mounted metering dispenser from FIG. 8; and

[0040] FIG. 10 shows a front view as in FIG. 8, but without any container.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0041] FIG. 1 generally shows an isometric view of the embodiment described here of a wall-mounted metering dispenser configured according to the invention. A container 1 for a care product is retained by a wall bracket 2 which is itself fixed to a wall (not illustrated). The wall bracket 2 retains the container 1 at a first fixing location 3 with a fixed retention element which is in the form of a hook-like shaped component 4 in this case. This shaped component engages in a recess 5 in a base region 6 of the container 1 in a positive-locking manner so that the container 1 is protected against sliding laterally off the first fixing location 3 and also against rotation about the vertical axis thereof.

[0042] There is located at a second fixing location 7 of the wall bracket 2 a sleeve 8 which is placed on an upper region 9 (hidden here) of the container 1 and which thereby retains the container 1 also in a positive-locking manner on the wall bracket 2. The sleeve 8 can be released by means of a release tool (not illustrated) from the wall bracket 2 in order to pull the container 1 with the sleeve 8 upward out of the wall bracket 2 and to lift it in this case out of the engagement with the hook-like shaped component 4. In this manner, the container 1 can be replaced very easily.

[0043] In another embodiment (not illustrated), the retention element can have a different shape at the first fixing location 3 of the wall bracket 2, in particular a plate-like or pan-like shape, so that the container 1 can be placed in this retention element at the first fixing location 3. Alternatively, the retention element may also be basket-like or may be in any other form with which it can secure the base region 6 of the container 1 connected to the sleeve 8 securely to the wall bracket 2.

[0044] In another embodiment (not illustrated), the sleeve 8 can also be simply released at the second fixing location 7 and moved relative to the wall bracket 2 so that it is possible to remove the container 1 from the sleeve 8 in order also to release it from the first fixing location 3 and to remove it from the wall bracket 2.

[0045] As FIG. 1 finally also shows, an actuation element 10 of a metering pump is arranged at an upper region 9 of the container 1, inside the sleeve 8 and in a state guided thereby, in order to convey liquid out of the interior thereof in a metered manner through a removal opening (not visible here) in the upper region 9 of the container 1 into a discharge channel 11 which is in this case in the form of a discharge spout and to discharge the liquid finally out of a discharge opening 12.

[0046] The sleeve 8 has at an upper, circumferential edge a recess 13, in which the discharge spout or the spout-like discharge channel 11 can be introduced in the case of a pump stroke of the actuation element 10; this is because the actuation element 10 is pressed downward toward the container 1 in order to actuate the metering pump. In this case, the liquid or the care product is discharged through the discharge opening 12.

[0047] FIG. 2 is a front view of the wall-mounted metering dispenser from FIG. 1, wherein identical reference numerals have been used for the features thereof and in this regard reference may be made to the description of FIG. 1.

[0048] FIG. 3, a sectioned illustration in the plane A-A from FIG. 2, illustrates additional details of the embodiment. The container 1 with the base region 6 and the upper region 9 thereof, the wall bracket 2 with the first fixing location 3 and the second fixing location 7, the hook-like shaped component 4 which engages in the recess 5 of the container 1 and the sleeve 8 with the actuation element 10 guided therein have already been explained in greater detail with reference to FIGS. 1 and 2.

[0049] As a result of the sectioned illustration, FIG. 3 shows at the second fixing location 7 a snap-fitting snap-fit connection 14, with which the sleeve 8 is secured to the wall bracket 2 and which can be released only with a release tool (not illustrated) in order to be able to remove the sleeve 8 from the wall bracket 2. The actuation element 10 which is guided inside the sleeve 8 is not an obstacle in this case as a result of the guiding in the sleeve 8 and is conversely not impaired by the release tool.

[0050] As also shown by the sectioned illustration in FIG. 3, the sleeve 8 is placed on the upper region 9 of the container 1 so that it is securely retained in a positive-locking and secure manner. As described in even greater detail below with reference to the additional drawings, the connection of the container 1 and sleeve 8 is ultimately a screw connection; this is because a removal opening 15 of the container 1 is formed by a bottleneck at the upper region 9 thereof which is provided with an outer thread 16.

[0051] As can readily be seen in FIG. 3, according to the invention a pump body 17 with a pump chamber and pump valve (not visible in this illustration) is located in the removal opening 15 of the container 1 in the form of a bottleneck. This is a pump body of a commercially available metering pump so that a detailed description of the pump chamber and pump valve and the operating method thereof is unnecessary. The pump valve and the pump chamber of the pump body 17 are activated via an actuation surface 18 which cooperates in turn with the actuation element 10. A pressure on the actuation element 10 brings about a pump stroke and consequently a discharge of liquid from the container 1 via the discharge channel 11 which is integrated in the actuation element 10, as known per se.

[0052] As will be explained in even greater detail below with reference to the additional drawings, the sleeve 8 has an inner thread 19 with which it is located on the outer thread 16 of the removal opening 15. In this case, a reverse rotation prevention member 20 prevents the container 1 from being able to be released from the sleeve 8 again as soon as the wall-mounted metering dispenser is assembled ready for use.

[0053] Another embodiment (not illustrated) dispenses with a reverse rotation prevention member so that all the components which are replaced during replacement of the container can be re-filled and used again. This may be desirable for reasons of sustainability.

[0054] FIG. 4 shows an exploded illustration of the wall-mounted metering dispenser from FIGS. 1 to 3, wherein in this instance identical components are also indicated again with identical reference numerals. This Figure shows that the present embodiment of a wall-mounted metering dispenser according to the invention substantially comprises a container 1 having the removal opening 15, the outer thread 16, the recess 5 and a stabilizing groove 21, a wall bracket 2 having a first fixing location 3 and a second fixing location 7 and the hook-like shaped component 4 as a retention element for the base region 6 of the container 1, a sleeve 8 having a recess 13, a pump body 17 with an actuation surface 18 and a sealing ring 26 and an actuation element 10 with a discharge channel 11 and discharge opening 12.

[0055] Tooth arrangements 22 for the reverse rotation prevention member are located in the upper region 9 of the container 1, as will be explained in greater detail below.

[0056] FIG. 5 shows a plan view of the sleeve 8 while FIG. 6 shows a sectioned side view of the sleeve 8 in the plane B-B from FIG. 5. These illustrations show that the sleeve 8 is provided with an inner thread 19 for receiving the outer thread 16 of the container 1. There are further provided a number of teeth 23 as a reverse rotation prevention member 20. These teeth 23 are made from polypropylene, as is the entire sleeve 8, and they consequently have a specific inherent resilience. They are formed on the sleeve 8 and are in the form of tongues which approximately tangentially abut the bottleneck of the container 1 so that they scarcely make it any harder to screw in the outer thread 16, but do not allow the outer thread 16 to be unscrewed backward from the inner thread 19 without being destroyed. This last feature is also ensured by the ring of tooth arrangements 22 in the upper region 9 of the container 1, as can be clearly seen in FIG. 4, but also in FIG. 7, a plan view of the container 1. These tooth arrangements 22 are provided with a flat and a steep flank so that the teeth 23 of the reverse rotation prevention member 20 act as detent pawls, wherein the tooth arrangements 22 are arranged on the container 1 in the manner of a locking wheel.

[0057] FIG. 5 further illustrates the adaptation of the sleeve 8 to the second fixing location 7 via the snap-fit connections 14.

[0058] FIG. 6 further illustrates that the sleeve 8 is provided inside the inner thread 19 thereof with a receiving member 24 for the pump body 17 with a seal 25 for the discharge channel 11. The sealing ring 26 of the pump body 17 (FIG. 4) comes to rest in the sleeve 8 against an abutment face 27 so that an undesirable discharge of liquid at this location is prevented.

[0059] FIG. 8 shows a front view, as in FIG. 2, of a second embodiment of a wall-mounted metering dispenser which is configured according to the invention. FIG. 9 shows a side view of this second embodiment. The portions of the second embodiment which is illustrated here and which correspond to the corresponding portions of the first embodiment from FIGS. 1 to 7 are indicated with the same reference numerals. In this regard, reference may be made to the above description of the Figures, in particular FIGS. 1 and 2.

[0060] The difference between the second embodiment and the first embodiment involves the configuration of the retention element for the base region 6 of the container 1 at the first fixing location 3. While in the first embodiment according to FIGS. 1 to 7 this retention element is in the form of a hook-like shaped component 4 which engages in a positive-locking manner in a recess 5 in the base region 6 of the container 1, the second embodiment, as FIGS. 8 and 9 particularly show, is provided with a pan-like shaped component 29 as a retention element of the first fixing location 3, wherein the pan-like shaped component 28 is provided with a comparatively high, circumferential edge 29 in order to receive the base region 6 of the container 1 in a positive-locking manner with regard to a movement component which is orientated perpendicularly to the vertical axis of the container 1. The container 1 also cannot thereby be removed from the wall bracket 2 without releasing one of the two fixing locations 3, 7.

[0061] FIG. 10 illustrates the wall bracket 2 of the second embodiment as a front view as in FIG. 8, but without the container 1 in order to set out the differences with respect to the first embodiment even more clearly with the hook-like shaped component 4 thereof. While the second fixing location 7 is configured identically to the first embodiment, the first fixing location 3 carries as a retention element the pan-like shaped component 28 with a circumferential edge 29 for receiving the base region 6 of the container 1. The pan-like shaped component 28 may, for example, be provided centrally with a hole in order to allow the discharge of any liquids, such as condensation water or splashes of water in a shower cubicle, which water has, for example, penetrated between the base region 6 of the container 1 and the circumferential edge 29.

LIST OF REFERENCE NUMERALS

[0062] 1 Container

[0063] 2 Wall bracket

[0064] 3 Fixing location (first)

[0065] 4 Hook-like shaped component

[0066] 5 Recess

[0067] 6 Base region

[0068] 7 Fixing location (second)

[0069] 8 Sleeve

[0070] 9 Upper region

[0071] 10 Actuation element

[0072] 11 Discharge channel

[0073] 12 Discharge opening

[0074] 13 Recess

[0075] 14 Snap-fit connection

[0076] 15 Removal opening

[0077] 16 Outer thread

[0078] 17 Pump body

[0079] 18 Actuation surface

[0080] 19 Inner thread

[0081] 20 Reverse rotation prevention member

[0082] 21 Stabilizing groove

[0083] 22 Tooth arrangements

[0084] 23 Teeth

[0085] 24 Receiving member

[0086] 25 Seal

[0087] 26 Sealing ring

[0088] 27 Abutment face

[0089] 28 Pan-like shaped component

[0090] 29 Edge (of 28)