PUMP FOR DISPENSING A FLUID
20230201852 · 2023-06-29
Assignee
Inventors
- Sabine Goettke (Lohne, DE)
- Gwénael DOULIN (Sainte Euphémie, FR)
- Pascal HENNEMANN (Vaux les St. Claude, FR)
Cpc classification
B05B11/1023
PERFORMING OPERATIONS; TRANSPORTING
F04B53/14
MECHANICAL ENGINEERING; LIGHTING; HEATING; WEAPONS; BLASTING
B05B11/1069
PERFORMING OPERATIONS; TRANSPORTING
B05B11/1077
PERFORMING OPERATIONS; TRANSPORTING
B05B11/1094
PERFORMING OPERATIONS; TRANSPORTING
B05B11/1074
PERFORMING OPERATIONS; TRANSPORTING
F04B19/04
MECHANICAL ENGINEERING; LIGHTING; HEATING; WEAPONS; BLASTING
B05B11/1047
PERFORMING OPERATIONS; TRANSPORTING
B05B11/1059
PERFORMING OPERATIONS; TRANSPORTING
B05B11/1053
PERFORMING OPERATIONS; TRANSPORTING
B05B15/656
PERFORMING OPERATIONS; TRANSPORTING
International classification
Abstract
A pump for dispensing a fluid, has a pump head , a piston body with a piston, a pump chamber limited by a pump chamber body, an inlet valve and an outlet valve, the piston being moveable by respective movement of the pump head between an upper starting position and a lower end position. A return stroke force for a return stroke from the lower end position into the upper starting position is provided by a bellows, formed by two bellows arranged one above the other, Each of the bellows is folded up, when moving the pump head into the lower end position, by exerting a compression force on the pump head, the first bellows receiving the compression force by direct engagement with the pump head, the second bellows receiving the compression force only by engagement with the first bellows.
Claims
1. A pump (1) for dispensing a fluid, comprising; a pump head (2), a piston body (15) with a piston, a pump chamber (13) limited by a pump chamber body (14), an inlet valve (12) and an outlet valve (16), the piston being moveable by respective movement of the pump head (2) between an upper starting position and a lower end position, wherein a return stroke force for a return stroke from the lower end position into the upper starting position is provided by a two bellows are arranged one above the other and comprising a first bellows and a second bellows, each of the bellows (18) is an independent bellow (18), and the bellows are not connected to each other but are only lying with upper and lower abutment surfaces on each other, wherein each of the bellows (18) is folded up, when moving the pump head (2) into the lower end position, by exerting a compression force on the pump head (2), the first bellows receiving the compression force by direct engagement with the pump head (2), the second bellows receiving the compression force only by engagement with the first bellows.
2. A pump (1) for dispensing a fluid, with comprising: a pump head (2), a piston body (15) with a piston, a pump chamber (13) limited by a pump chamber body, an inlet valve (12) and an outlet valve (16), wherein the piston is movable by respective movement of the pump head (2) between an upper starting position and a lower end position, wherein a return stroke force for a return stroke from the lower end position into the upper starting position is provided for by a bellows (18), the bellows (18) has on a lower end a first sealing lip (32) engageable in the starting position by an engagement part of the piston, wherein the first sealing lip (32) is a circumferential continuously running, generally cylindrical part extending downwards from a lower shoulder and being in an engagement with an outer surface of the piston, the outer surface being radially inward to a second sealing lip (28) of the piston (15), and wherein the piston (15) has a circumferentially continuously given groove (33), wherein an outer wall of the groove (33) provides for the sealing lip (28) and an inner wall of the groove (33) provides for the surface being in sealing engagement with the first sealing lip (32) in the upper, starting position of the piston (15).
3. A pump (1) for dispensing a fluid, comprising: a pump head (2), a piston body (15) with a piston, a pump chamber body (14) limiting a pump chamber (13), an inlet valve (12) and an outlet valve (16), the piston body (15) is movable by a respective movement of the pump head (2) between an upper starting position and a lower end position, wherein the pump head (2) has a pump head wall (31) extending downward from the pump head (2), in sliding engagement to a pump housing part (3) being fixed during a pumping stroke and a return stroke, wherein a return stroke force for the return stroke from the lower end position into the upper starting position is provided for by a restoring spring, wherein the pump housing part (3) has a sealing wall being in a sealing engagement with a sealing shoulder (39) on the pump head wall (31) in the starting position, biased in the sealing engagement by a restoring means (18), wherein the pump head wall provides an outer surface of the pump head (2) in the upper starting position, wherein the pump housing part (3) has at an inner edge an engaging wall (37), extending in a cross section in an oblique extending free ending wall part (38), at an angle of 40-50° with respect to the axis (A), such that the engaging wall runs from a higher radially outward diameter to a lower radially inward diameter, and wherein the wall part (38) has a certain flexibility when the pump head is possibly engaging with the wall part (38) when moving downwards and a certain stiffness when engaging the shoulder (39) provided for at the wall (31), in an upward movement direction of the pump head (2), in which case the shoulder (39) tends to bend the wall (37) upwards, resulting in a narrowing of a free diameter at an inner free edge (40) of the wall (37), thereby enhancing the engagement between the pump head wall (37) and the engaging wall (31), which free edge (40) further makes up for the engagement between the wall part (38) and the wall (31).
4. (canceled)
5. A pump (1) for dispensing a fluid, comprising: a pump head (2), a piston body (15) with a piston, a pump chamber (13) limited by a pump chamber body (14), an inlet valve (12) and an outlet valve (16), the piston being moveable by respective movement of the pump head (2) between an upper starting position and a lower end position, wherein a return stroke force for a return stroke from the lower end position into the upper starting position is provided by a bellows (18), wherein a bulge (19) of such bellows (18) having in a cross section an upper straight surface (37) and a lower straight surface (38), which merge radially outside by a curvature, wherein a first acute angle (α) in said cross section between the upper straight surface and a line being at a right angle to a compression direction or a longitudinal middle axis of the bellows (18) respectively is larger than a second acute angle (β) in said cross section between the lower straight surface (38) and said line (1), and wherein the angle (α) is between 38° and 48° and the angle (β) between 25° and 32°.
6. The pump according to claim 1, wherein the sealing lip (32) and/or the engagement part is step like formed such that in one of the engagement positions a higher sealing force is reached than in the other.
7. The pump according to claim 2, wherein the bellows have bulges and wherein the bulges extend threadlike in circumferential direction of the bellows such that one bulge may run from a lower end surface of the bellows to the upper end surface of the bellows.
8. The pump according to claim 2, wherein the bellows has two or more bulges running thread-like.
9. The pump according to claim 1, wherein the bellows being arranged one above the other each have thread-like running bulges.
10. The pump according to claim 9, wherein the bulges of each of the bellows have an opposite pitch.
11. The pump according to claim 1, wherein the bellows are nested together on theft adjoining surfaces.
Description
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
[0029] Further, the invention is explained in view of the enclosed drawings, which show:
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DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS
[0054] With reference first to
[0055] The rib 7 may have a stabilization purpose and/or providing an means for orientation of the pump when assembling the pump.
[0056] The pump described above and below is preferably a pump having most or all parts as plastic parts. Further preferably, most or all of the parts are of polyethylene. Especially is preferred to have the restoring means, especially the bellows, made from polyethylene.
[0057] Such pump may have a dispense volume at a pumping stroke of some milliliters, for example 1,5 to 3 ml, more preferably 2 ml. Nevertheless, even greater volumes can be handled, such as for example 4 ml or more.
[0058] The pump head 2 has further an outlet opening 8.
[0059] The pump 1 may be assigned to a receptacle 9 shown by a dashed line in
[0060] In the receptacle 9 a fluid 11 like a lotion fluid, a soap or similar may be contained, which is pumpable by means of the pump 1 out of the receptacle 9. The fluid will be dispensed through the outlet opening 8 in the pump head. The outlet opening 8 is the end of an outlet channel 10, now with reference for example to
[0061] With further reference to
[0062] The pump head part having predominantly the pump head fluid channel 10 may have outside to the fluid channel 10 a stabilizing rib 17. Such stabilizing rib may be provided for with an extension in a length direction of the fluid channel 10 on both sides outside to the fluid channel 10. As shown and preferably, the stabilizing rib has a wave-like pattern.
[0063] The pump 1 further may have a restoring means, which are given preferably as shown in this respect especially in
[0064] The pump 1 is preferably built by several in general cylindrical parts, being concentric to each other. They are all arranged preferably with a coincident middle axis, coincident with the geometrical axis A.
[0065] As shown in
[0066] The wall of the bellows providing the bulges is preferably a closed wall over its whole vertical and circumferential extension.
[0067] Each of the bellows 18 is preferably an independent bellow. Preferably they are even in the assembled state for example shown in
[0068] The upper bellows 18 is in abutment engagement with the pump head 2. It may, as it is shown in the embodiment, in this respect have an upper shoulder 22.
[0069] The shoulder may be an enlarged terminal part of the bellows 18, having as shown in the drawings a for example rectangular cross-section. The shoulder may provide an abutment surface 23, which more preferably, as shown, extends in a right angle to the middle axis A. A counter abutment surface 24 , given preferably at the pump head 2 does extend preferably the same way.
[0070] The lower bellows 18 has preferably a lower shoulder 25, being in abutment engagement with a housing part 26. The housing part 26 is more preferably, as it is also given at the shown embodiments, the pump chamber part 5. The housing part 26 or the pump chamber part 5 respectively has a protruding inward rest shoulder 27 against which the lower shoulder 25 of the lower bellows 18 may rest.
[0071] The housing part 26 or more specifically the pump chamber part 5 respectively will not move during a pumping stroke relative to the receptacle 9.
[0072] The piston body 14 does preferably have at its lower end the piston 15. The piston 15 is predominantly for reducing the volume of the pump chamber 13, when moving from an upper starting position as for example shown in
[0073] The piston 15 has one or more sealing lips 28 being in sealing engagement with an inner surface of the pump chamber part 5.
[0074] The piston body 14 further has a tube-like extension 29, which emerges from the piston 15 and does end at or with the outlet valve 16.
[0075] The tube-like extension is provided for by a tube-like wall 30.
[0076] The one or more bellows are received within an angular room provided for preferably between an outer surface of the wall 30 and an inner surface of a wall 31 of the pump head 2, extending downward, against an dispensing direction of the fluid 11 in the extension 29 and/or an inner surface of a pump part or more specifically the pump chamber part 5. This inner surface of the pump part is above the wall region of the pump chamber part 5, which does actually provide the inner surface for the pump chamber 13 against which the piston 15 is in sealing engagement, preferably by means of its sealing lips.
[0077] Preferably and as shown in the drawings, the one or more bellows have first the purpose for providing a restoring force. The bellows do not preferably be in contact with the fluid to be dispensed. However, a further purpose may also be given as described below, especially in terms of providing a sealing, in the given case additional, a sealing in cooperation with the piston.
[0078] The bellows, preferably at the shown embodiment the lower bellows 18 may have a sealing lip 32 for an engagement with the piston 15 or a respective part of the piston.
[0079] The sealing lip 32 is preferably a circumferential continuously running, in general cylindrical part extending downwards from the lower shoulder 25 of the bellows. The bellows is made from elastic plastic material. The lip 32 therefore is also elastic.
[0080] The sealing lip 32 may be in an engagement with an outer surface of the piston, which outer surface is preferably radially inward to the sealing lip 28 of the piston. In case there are upper and lower sealing lips 28, more preferably, the engagement is radially inward to the upper sealing lip 28 of the piston 15.
[0081] The piston 15 may have a circumferentially continuously given groove 33, wherein an outer wall of the groove 33 may provide for the sealing lip 28 and an inner wall of the groove 33 may be providing for the surface being in sealing engagement with the lip 32 in the said upper, starting position of the piston 15.
[0082] The surface of the piston 28, the lip 32 is in engagement with, can as such be also be given at an upstanding wall, which may have on its further inner side a second groove 34.
[0083] Still further, the lip 32 and/or the surface of the piston 15, the lip 32 is in engagement with, may be designed step-like. This is shown in principle in
[0084] As it is to see, a respective wall part of the piston may have a step s in the vertical section shown in
[0085] It can be the case, that the restoring force of the bellows 18 is always strong enough to move the piston in the second position with the higher sealing force. It might be also the case that during normal use the second sealing position is not reached but that this second sealing position is only given once a filled receptacle which such pump leaves the factory. Thereby, during transport etc., until first use by user, a very tight sealing may be given.
[0086] As it is, for example, shown in
[0087] It is preferred, that in case of the two bellows 18 as described before, a pitch p of such thread-like running bulges is opposite on both the bellows 18 being one above the other. Therefore, a possible turning action, when compressing the bellows 18 is balanced thereby.
[0088] A further aspect of the invention in terms of the bellows is a surface angle α or β respectively of the surfaces of such bulges.
[0089] Preferably such bellows 18 has different angles as to the surfaces, an upper surface 35 and a lower surface 36, of a bulge 19. One or more or all of the bulges 19 may have this kind of different angles.
[0090] A bulge 19 is having in general in a cross section an upper straight surface 37 and a lower straight surface 38. These surfaces 37, 37 do merge radially outward, as well as radially inward, by a curvature as shown. Looking at the said straight surfaces in a longitudinal cross section of such bulge or the bellows as such, a first acute angle α in said cross section between the upper straight surface 35 and a line L being at a right angle to a compression direction or the longitudinal axis A is larger than a second acute angle β in said cross section between the lower straight surface 36 and the line L. Thereby, during compression of the bulge 19 a controlled wrapping is initiated. The wall part having concerning the straight surface as explained the smaller acute angle is less rigid than the wall part of the bellows with the surface having the greater acute angle and will therefore first bend upon respective force.
[0091] Whereas the angle α might be in a range of 35 to 50°, more specifically 38 to 48°, even more specifically 40 to 45°, further preferably about 43°, the angle β might be in a range of 20 to 34°, more specifically 25 to 32°, even more specifically 28 to 32° and further preferably about 30°.
[0092] Concerning the surfaces 20 and 21, as it is shown in
[0093] Of further importance is an even more advantageously sealing feature which can be provided for also with an embodiment having only one bellows or even a plastic spring as already mentioned. More preferably however it is given combined with the two bellows as shown here.
[0094] Further, the sealing feature might be combined with such bellows or a plastic spring, having the sealing lip 32 or not.
[0095] This feature concerning a possible further sealing is between the pump head more specifically the wall 31 of the pump head, providing further preferably a part of an outer surface of the pump head in the upper starting position and pump part 3, being preferably a cap, such as a screw cap.
[0096] The pump part 3 or the cap respectively has at its inner edge an engaging wall 37, in a cross section as shown in
[0097] The wall part 38 therefore has first as such as certain flexibility, when the pump head is possibly engaging with the wall part 38 when moving downwards, second, when engaging especially a shoulder 39 provided for at the wall 31, in an upward movement direction of the pump head 2 a certain stiffness. Since the shoulder 39 tends in this case to bend the wall 37 upwards, this results in a narrowing of the free diameter at the inner free edge 40 of the wall 37 and is therefore enhancing the engagement between the wall 37 and the wall 31.
[0098] This engagement is given by the restoring force of the one or more bellows 18 or the spring.
[0099] Not only for this purpose but generally it is preferred, that the bellows 18 or the spring is assembled into the pump with some preload. This means, even in the most extended position, in general the upper starting position mentioned, the bellows is not completely extended but is still effecting some bias.
[0100] Due further to the comparatively small free edge surface of the wall part 38 which makes up for the engagement between the wall part 38 and the wall 31, a comparatively high surface pressure is reached which makes up as such also for a good sealing between said parts.
[0101] At the shown embodiment and preferably the piston body 14 is unitary, further preferably material uniform one piece made with the pump piston 15, wherein the piston body 14 especially provides the tube-like extension with the inner space for delivering the fluid into the outlet channel 10 as described.
[0102] The outlet valve is especially shown in
[0103] Preferably, not necessarily combined with the one piece design with the pump piston 15, the piston body 14 is unitary one piece with the outlet valve 16. As it is shown in more detail in
[0104] As far as above and below is referenced in view of the shown pump 1 “above” or “below”, this is always meant in respect of the fluid flow upon a pumping stroke. The fluid flows from below to above within the pump body and then preferably after having gone through the area of the outlet valve 16 generally horizontal and radially outward with respect to the central geometric axis A.
[0105] The outlet valve 16 further cooperates with a sealing rim 46 provided for in the pump head 2. Specifically, the sealing rim 46 is given by an opening 47 of the outlet channel 10 in the pump head. The opening 47 is preferably a short axial tube-like region in the pump head 2. The opening 47 is further given at the lower inner surface of the pump channel 10. The outlet valve 16 extends within, and at least in the opening position, through the short axial tube-like region.
[0106] The disk-like valve part 41, in one of the embodiments, see especially
[0107] Probably, as also shown in
[0108] The disk-like valve part 41, and this is given for both the embodiments, in this respect described, has lower, one or more pillar parts 49, which combine the outlet valve 16 with the piston body, preferably the tube-like wall of the piston body. The pillars, in case there are several pillar parts, leave a free space between them and a free space around them for allowing the fluid to flow around the pillar parts and, in the opening position of the outlet valve further around the outer surface of the disk-like valve part 41 for finally going into the pump head fluid channel 10.
[0109] In case of one pillar part 49, the one pillar part 49 is also such arranged that it allows the flowing around of the fluid in the indicated way.
[0110] The one or several pillar parts 49 extend from an area within the wall 29 up to above an upper rim 50 of the pump body. The disk-like valve part 41 is preferably, as shown at the embodiment, extending with a distance to said upper rim, above the upper rim.
[0111] The upper rim 50 may be built by a flexible lip part providing further the upper end of the pump body, especially the said inner concentric wall. The flexible lip part may be sealingly engage an inner surface of a respective skirt part, preferably the third inner skirt part of the pump head 2.
[0112] The inlet valve 12 is further especially shown e.g. in
[0113] The inner sealing part 51 of the inlet valve 12, having the said diameter D1, is bound to an outer attachment part 52 of the inlet valve 12 by means of flexible arms 53. The flexible arms 53 extend partly in circumferential direction in order to have a greater length of the flexible arms 53.
[0114] The outer attachment part 52 is sleeve-like and extends preferably further below to the inner sealing part 50. An inner surface of the attachment part 52 is structured with one or more ribs 54, in order to engage an outer surface of a rising wall part 55 of a bottom of the pump chamber. The rising wall part 55 is preferably in the section shown for example in
[0115] The attachment part 52 further leaves a circumferential space 56 between an outer surface of the attachment part 52 and an inner surface of the pump chamber. This circumferential space may serve to receive a sealing lip, in the given case a lower sealing lip of the piston, allowing the piston to move in the lower end position upon a pumping stroke.
[0116] Preferably as shown in the embodiment, the piston has two sealing lips 28, namely a lower sealing lip and an upper sealing lip. The sealing lips extend starting from a plate-like middle portion of the piston in opposite directions.
[0117] In the upper position of the piston and the starting position of the pump head, the upper sealing lip may rest against a lower surface of the abutment part or shoulder respectively of the restoring means, especially the bellows or the spring. This could be given as well in a case the sealing lip 32 is not provided for.
[0118] In the pump chamber body is further preferably provided for an opening 56, which is further preferably in the non-actuated position, the upper position of the pump head and the pump body, overlapped by one or both of the said sealing lips of the piston. Therefore, in this position, outside air may not come into the pump chamber. However, in a lower position of the pump body and the pump head, as for example shown in
[0119] The receptacle 9 may have a neck 57 as indicated in
[0120] With reference especially to
[0121] The pump head 2, for example and preferably at its pump head skirt 31, may have a skirt rim, being received in the locked position as also shown in
[0122] The locked position is further preferably limited in circumferential direction by a stop 60, also provided for at the pump chamber body 5 or another respective pump part. An end surface 61 of the skirt rim 58 may rest against the stop 60 when the pump head 2 is fully turned in the locked position.
[0123] There might be provided for a further stop 62, limiting the turning of the pump head into the unlocked position.
[0124] A further embodiment of the outlet valve 16 is shown in more detail in
[0125] The second embodiment of
Reference Numerals
[0126] 1 pump
[0127] 2 pump head
[0128] 3 pump housing part
[0129] 4 suction tube
[0130] 5 pump chamber part
[0131] 6 receiving part
[0132] 7 rib
[0133] 8 outlet opening
[0134] 9 receptacle
[0135] 10 outlet channel
[0136] 11 fluid
[0137] 12 inlet valve
[0138] 13 pump chamber
[0139] 14 piston body
[0140] 15 pump piston
[0141] 16 outlet valve
[0142] 17 stabilizing rib
[0143] 18 bellows
[0144] 19 bulge
[0145] 20 abutment surface
[0146] 21 abutment surface
[0147] 22 upper shoulder
[0148] 23 abutment surface
[0149] 24 counter abutment surface
[0150] 25 lower shoulder
[0151] 26 housing part
[0152] 27 rest shoulder
[0153] 28 sealing lip
[0154] 29 tube-like extension
[0155] 30 wall
[0156] 31 wall of pump head
[0157] 32 sealing lip
[0158] 33 groove
[0159] 34 groove
[0160] 35 surface, upper
[0161] 36 surface, lower
[0162] 37 engaging wall
[0163] 38 wall part
[0164] 39 shoulder
[0165] 40 inner free edge
[0166] 41 disk-like valve part
[0167] 42 rim part
[0168] 43 stem
[0169] 44 inner skirt
[0170] 45 abutment shoulder
[0171] 46 rim
[0172] 47 opening
[0173] 48 edge
[0174] 49 pillar part
[0175] 50 upper rim
[0176] 51 pot like sealing part
[0177] 52 attachment part
[0178] 53 flexible arm
[0179] 54 rib
[0180] 55 wall part
[0181] 56 opening
[0182] 57 neck
[0183] 58 skirt rim
[0184] 59 shoulder
[0185] 60 stop
[0186] 61 end surface
[0187] 62 further stop
[0188] p pitch
[0189] A geometrical axis
[0190] s step
[0191] α angle
[0192] β angle
[0193] L line