Patent ID: 8245881
Filing Date: 2012-08-21
Classification: B67D

Abstract:
1. A dispensing system comprising: a housing member, an activation member mounted to the housing member to be reciprocally movable relative the housing member between a first position and a second position, a reservoir assembly coupled to the housing member including a reservoir containing material to be dispensed, a pump mechanism including a pump element coupled to the activation member and reciprocally movable with the activation member in a cycle of operation between an extended position and a retracted position to dispense the material from the reservoir assembly, a spring member separate from the pump mechanism disposed between the housing member and the activation member biasing the activation member from the first position toward the second position and resisting movement of the activation member from the second position toward the first position, the spring member being elongate and extending between a first end of the spring member coupled to the housing member and a second end of the spring member coupled to the activation member, the spring member having a length measured longitudinally of the spring member along a spring longitudinal between the first end and the second end, the spring member having an inherent bias to assume an inherent length and to resist deflection by forces applied between the first end and the second end along the spring longitudinal, the relative forces applied between the first end and the second end along the spring longitudinal which are required to change the length of the spring member a given amount varying as the length of the length of the spring member changes, a spring seat member selected from one or more of: (a) a first housing spring seat member carried on the housing member disposed between the housing member and the first end of the spring member to engage the first end of the spring member and couple the first end of the spring member at a first housing distance along the spring longitudinal relative the housing member, the first housing spring seat member removably coupled to the housing member for replacement by another second housing spring seat member carried on the housing member disposed between the housing member and the first end of the spring member to engage the first end of the spring member and couple the first end of the spring member at a second housing distance along the spring longitudinal relative the housing member which second housing distance is different than the first housing distance, and (b) a first activation spring seat member carried on the activation member disposed between the activation member and the second end of the spring member to engage the second end of the spring member and couple the second end of the spring member at a first activation distance along the spring longitudinal relative the activation member, the first activation spring seat member removably coupled to the activation member for replacement by a similar second activation spring seat member carried on the activation member disposed between the activation member and the second end of the spring member to engage the second end of the spring member and couple the second end of the spring member at a second activation distance along the spring longitudinal relative the activation member which second activation distance is different than the first activation distance.