Abstract:
A fluid-pumping-dispenser that is composed of a pump-tube of tubular shape, and provided on one end of a plug to close and open an outlet from a container. The other side of the pump-tube is mounted on either a housing with a valve-rod, or a front-valve with an adapter will prevent the fluid from returning back to the pump-tube. To provide the power an actuator is provided that will pinch the pump-tube, and will the help of the valves described will pump fluids from a container through the pump-tube and to the outside by the nozzle on the housing. To complete the assembly a container is provided with a piston to store the fluid.

Description:
CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS 
     This application claims the benefit of PPA Ser. No. 60/806,787, filed Jul. 9, 2006 by the present inventor. 
    
    
     FEDERALLY SPONSORED RESEARCH 
     None. 
     SEQUENCE LISTING 
     None. 
     BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
     1. Field of Invention 
     This invention generally relates to a dispenser for fluids that will need some pumping action to let the fluid inside a container exit without difficulty, but at the same time will impede the entrance of other substances like air, water and dirt into the container and pump. 
     2. Prior Art 
     Previously all dispensers were made using expensive springs, ball metallic valves, and some kind of piston system or propellants to pump the fluid from a container to the exterior using an actuator that the user needs to press in order to activate pumping action. Included in these devices are aerosols that are often used by normal people for cosmetic and medical applications. These devices are consumed in big quantities and are becoming a problem because they take up space in landfills and because the propellants that are used on them are affecting climate change and are responsible for some greenhouse emissions. Many countries still allow these propellants to be used, including the U.S. (e.g. propellant 134A banned in Europe but permitted in the U.S.). According to the U.S. government they will be eliminated in the next 10 to 15 years. Many of the components used in these devices are metallic, e.g., aluminum, steel, chrome, lead. Some of these metals, such as aluminum and steel, can be recycled. However, others are harder and contaminate the environment, such as chrome and lead. 
     The use of current aerosol dispensing devices cannot continue and new devices that provide the same function and are recyclable should be developed. One of the problems is to keep the product inside these devices from getting contaminated, a task that is easily accomplished when using an aerosol. For the reasons detailed above, aerosols will be off the market one day. This is the reason why we need to find other ways to dispense fluid or fluid like substances well from a device that is cheaper, recyclable and will not harm the atmosphere with its emissions when put in the trash. 
     Some of the new dispensers are more environmentally-friendly but will leave the fluid inside the pump open to any kind of contamination getting inside the container. Some inventors have started to solve this problem, adding a closeable lid that the user must insert on the nozzle to close and to prevent any extraneous fluids or particle(s) from entering inside the pump and container. Sometimes this works well enough. However, in some cases, such as creams that can easily get oxidized with air and reduce their potency, this situation becomes critical. At the same time, some fluids used in medical applications need to stay clean and free of contaminants to be safe to use for human applications. All the dispensers heretofore known in the market suffer from a number of disadvantages:
         (a) All dispensers currently available in the market allow air to enter in the pump and container. This can result in oxidation of the substance inside the container. The substance will get damaged or change its properties over time. An example would be an anti-age cream with certain vitamins that in contact with air will change color, thicken and oxidize, losing their anti-aging properties. Another example is a cream that helps to heal scars, but is not effective if put into contact with oxygen. These creams are usually very expensive.   (b) On a normal dispenser, any contaminants coming from the exterior can enter the container through the pump, contaminating and damaging the formula of a medical product. This is especially critical in medical applications where bacteria or other microorganisms can enter the container and grow inside. Later the patient who is taking this formula can get infected by the bacteria or other microorganisms. This can happen to patients with a low immune system, who can die from an airborne disease coming from the container that has the medicine that is supposed to cure them, not infect them.   (c) The dispenser needs to have the nozzle closed with a lid to prevent any contaminant from entering the container. Sometimes people do not like to close the nozzle, forget or do not have time to do it. For example, when dispensing a diaper rash cream, if the baby moves around all the time, it is easy to forget to close the cream while putting a diaper on the baby after using the cream.   (d) Using a dispenser for many applications create a large amount of trash when the dispenser is discarded after the product inside is used. This is especially noticeable when these devices are used for cosmetic and especially medical applications where they are mass-produced. These devices cannot be degraded or recycled easily, creating a problem for the environment.   (e) Current dispensers are more expensive and use expensive components as steel springs and expensive plastics to work properly.       

     3. Object and Advantages 
     Accordingly several objects and advantages of the invention are:
         (a) To provide a dispenser that will pump and act as a check valve when dispensing the product inside. The dispenser allows the product; usually a fluid or cream, to exit, but at the same time does not permit the entrance of air, water, bacteria, microorganisms, dirt and other undesirable substances inside the container.   (b) To provide a dispenser that can dispense a metered amount of fluid that can be useful for certain medical applications where dispensing a dose is critical.   (c) To provide a dispenser that seals itself, so that no harm will come to the contents of the container if the device is in a dirty environment.   (d) To provide a dispenser that can easily be injection molded and manufactured very easily, with only a few components.   (e) This dispenser can be made of plastics like polypropylene, polyethylene, and thermoplastics elastomers like Santoprene™ materials that are easily recyclable.   (f) To provide a dispenser that can be set ready to dispense with just one push and that will close automatically to prevent any spill.       

     Further objects and advantages will become apparent from a consideration of the ensuring description and drawings. 
     SUMMARY 
     In accordance with the present invention, a dispenser for dispensing fluids comprises a rubber tube that has a check valve on each end and is mounted on a case with an actuator. On the other side there will be a container and a piston. The dispenser will dispense only when the actuator is pressed, causing the fluid to exit. When the desired amount of fluid has exited, it will automatically close to prevent any air or other substances from entering the container and pump. A piston will automatically move forward, compensating for the volume being dispensed. 
    
    
     
       DRAWINGS 
       Figures 
       In the drawings, closely related figures have the same number but different alphabetic suffixes. 
         FIG. 1  is a plan view of my invention. 
         FIG. 2A  is a cross-sectional view of the dispenser taken from line  2 - 2  in  FIG. 1 . 
         FIG. 2B  is a cross-sectional view of dispenser taken from line  2 - 2  in  FIG. 1 . 
         FIG. 3  is a perspective view of the actuator. 
         FIG. 4  is a plan view of the pump-tube. 
         FIG. 5  is a cross-sectional view of the pump-tube taken from line  5 - 5  in  FIG. 4 . 
         FIG. 6  is a plan view of the housing. 
         FIG. 7  is a section view of the housing taken from line  7 - 7  in  FIG. 6 . 
         FIG. 8  is a perspective view of the valve-rod. 
         FIG. 9  is a plan view of the container. 
         FIG. 10  is a cross-sectional view of the container taken from line  10 - 10  in  FIG. 9 . 
         FIG. 11  is a plan view of the piston. 
         FIG. 12  is a cross-sectional view of the piston taken from line  12 - 12  in  FIG. 11 . 
         FIG. 13  is an exploded view of my invention. 
         FIG. 14  is a plan view of the dispenser of a second embodiment. 
         FIG. 15A  is a cross-sectional view of a second embodiment of my invention taken from line  15 - 15  in  FIG. 14 . 
         FIG. 15B  is a cross-sectional view of a second embodiment of my invention taken from line  15 - 15  in  FIG. 14 . 
         FIG. 16  is an isometric view of the adapter of a second embodiment. 
         FIG. 17  is an isometric view of the front-valve of a second embodiment of my invention. 
         FIG. 18  is an exploded view of a second embodiment of my invention. 
     
    
    
     DRAWINGS 
     Reference Numerals 
     
         
           1  Fluid pumping device. 
           2  Fluid pumping device second embodiment. 
           10  Pump-tube. 
           12  Pump-reservoir. 
           14  Plug. 
           16  Rib. 
           18  Cavity. 
           20  Housing. 
           22  Nozzle. 
           24  Housing-groove. 
           26  Cutout. 
           28  Housing-opening. 
           30  Valve-rod. 
           32  Bevel. 
           34  Rod. 
           40  Actuator. 
           42  Catch. 
           44  Seat. 
           50  Container. 
           51  Outlet. 
           52  Slant. 
           54  Channel. 
           56  Container-body. 
           58  Container-opening. 
           60  Piston. 
           62  Wall. 
           64  Lip. 
           80  Front-valve. 
           82  Valve-disc. 
           84  Cone. 
           86  Discharge. 
           90  Adapter. 
           92  Adapter-disc. 
           94  Shoulder. 
           96  Orifices. 
           100  Pump-fluid. 
           110  Storage-fluid. 
       
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION 
     Preferred Embodiment 
     FIGS.  1 ,  2 A,  2 B,  3 ,  4 ,  5 ,  6 ,  7 ,  8 ,  9 ,  10 ,  11 ,  12  and  13   
     A preferred embodiment of the dispenser of the present invention is illustrated in  FIG. 2A , which is a cross-sectional view taken at line  2 - 2  in  FIG. 1  of my invention, and gives an interior view of how the components are arranged. While this is my preferred embodiment, many alternative embodiments are possible, and the specificities listed below should not be construed as limiting the scope of the invention, but merely as providing illustrations of the preferred embodiment.  FIG. 13  shows an exploded view of my invention. 
     The pump-tube  10  on  FIGS. 4 and 5  is composed of a pump-reservoir  12  with a conical plug  14  that is hold in the center by a plurality of ribs  16 . The plug  14  has in its back a cavity  18 . The pump-tube  10  can be injected from a softer material, preferably but not limited to be of thermoplastic elastomer (TPE), and preferably the one provided by the brand Santoprene™. The size of the pump-tube  10  is based on the standard dispensers that can be found on the market, although many other sizes or shapes could be used. For this figure a pump-tube  10  with a nominal diameter of 12 mm was chosen. 
     The housing  20  shown in  FIGS. 6 and 7  has a cutout  26  on top to fit the actuator  40 .  FIG. 7  shows a cross-sectional view taken from  FIG. 6  at line  7 - 7  that shows the cutout  26  has a housing-groove  24  and a nozzle  22 . On one side there is a housing-opening  28 . The housing  20  is made of injection molded plastic and preferably of polypropylene (PP), although a high density polyethylene (HDPE) can also be used. 
     The valve-rod  30  shown in  FIG. 8  is composed of a rod  34  that has a bevel  32  on one of its ends. The valve-rod  30  can be made of injection molded plastic and preferably of polypropylene (PP), although many other hard plastics can be used. 
     The actuator  40  shown in  FIG. 3  can have almost any shape but basically is a seat  44  with caches  42  to keep it in place. The actuator  40  can be made of injection molded plastic and preferably polypropylene (PP) although many other hard plastics can also be used. 
     The container  50  shown in  FIG. 9  and a cross sectional view shown in  FIG. 10  is made of a container-body  56 . On one side, there is a circular channel  54  to mount the pump-tube  10 . There is also an outlet  51  that has a slant  52  that matches the plug  14  from the pump-tube  10 . The container  50  can be made of injection molded plastic and preferably polypropylene (PP) although many other hard plastics can also be used. 
     The piston  60  shown in  FIG. 11  and a cross sectional view shown in  FIG. 12  has a cylindrical shape where one side is covered by a wall  62 . On one edge of the cylinder there is a lip  64 . The piston  60  can be made of injection molded plastic and preferably polypropylene (PP) although many other hard plastics can also be used. 
       FIG. 13  shows the components of the invention in an exploded view showing the pump-tube  10 , where the valve-rod  30  is mounted on the cavity  18  of the plug  14 , the housing  20  completes the front. On the second part of the assembly the container  50  with a piston  60  finishes the design. 
     Operation 
     Preferred Embodiment 
     FIGS.  1 ,  2 A,  2 B 
     In operation a person uses the fluid-pumping-dispenser in the following manner, see  FIG. 2B . When the pump-tube  10  is pressed by the actuator  40 , the pump-tube  10  deforms, reducing its inside volume. The pump-fluid  100  which cannot be compressed pushes the plug  14  against the container  50  closing the outlet  51 . At the same time the valve-rod  30  that is attached to the plug  14  of the pump-tube  10  opens the nozzle  22  of the housing  20 . At this point the fluid can only exit. Once the person releases the pressure on the actuator  40  (see  FIG. 2A ) the pump-tube  10  recovers its original position and the plug  14  of the pump-tube  10  returns to its normal position, making the valve-rod  30  close the nozzle  22  of the housing  20 . When this happens the storage-fluid  110  is absorbed to the interior of the pump-tube  10  filling the space left by the fluid that was pumped during the first cycle of the operation. The piston  60  moves forward inside the container  50  to compensate for the volume dispensed during the first part of the cycle. 
     The valve-rod  30  is mounted on the cavity  18  of the plug  14  of the pump-tube  10  so they can move at the same time during the different cycles of operation. 
     The container  50  has an outlet  51  with a slant  52  that matches the profile of the plug  14  of the pump-tube  10  to close hermetically when put in contact. 
     The piston  60  has a lip  64  that touches the interior of the container  50  keeping the inside hermetically closed. 
     Description 
     Alternative Embodiment 
     FIGS.  14 ,  15 A,  15 B,  16 ,  17 ,  18   
     In this embodiment the fluid-pump-dispenser is using most of the components already described in the preferred embodiment but the valve-rod  30  is replaced by the combination of front-valve  80  and adapter  90 . 
     The adapter  90  is composed of an adapter-disc  92  with a shoulder  94  that has a plurality of orifices  96 . This component is made but not limited to plastic, but preferably polypropylene (PP). 
     The front-valve  80  has a valve-disc  82  where a cone  84  is located in the center; there is a discharge  86  that pass through the piece. This component is made but not limited to plastic, but preferably polypropylene (PP). 
     The operation of this embodiment is similar to the preferred embodiment already described with the exception that during the first cycle, the front-valve  80  moves forward after being pushed by the pump-fluid  100  when the actuator  10  pinch the pump-tube  10 , resulting in the opening of the orifices  96  of the adapter  90 . The pump-fluid  100  then can exit to the exterior through the orifices  96  of the adapter  90  and through the discharge  86  of the front-valve  80 . In the second part of the cycle the pump-tube  10  recovers its original shape, and the suction that it creates moves the front-valve  80  towards the adapter  90  to close the orifices  96  on the adapter  90 . When this happens, fluid may only enter from the container  50  through the outlet  51  into the pump-reservoir  12  of the pump-tube  10 . The piston  60  moves forward inside the container  50  to compensate for the fluid being dispensed. 
     CONCLUSION, RAMIFICATIONS, AND SCOPE 
     Accordingly the reader will see that, according with the invention, I have provided an improved dispenser for dispensing fluids that will stop contaminants from entering the container. This economical solution can be used by persons of almost any age. The fluid-pumping-dispenser has many other advantages in that:
         It permits the fluids to be pumped without difficulty.   It dispenses a dose, making it ideal for medical applications.   It is easy and cheap to manufacture, with only a few components, which protects the environment.   Its components are made of Polypropylene and Polyethylene that are both recyclable and biodegradable.   It provides a safe way to store special substances (e.g., medicines, anti-aging creams) keeping them safe from contamination.   It can be injection molded in many color combinations or even be transparent, giving it a unique look.   Kids and adults are able to use it very quickly, with minimal training.       

     While the above description contains many specificities, these should not be construed as limitations on the scope of the invention, but as exemplifications of the presently preferred embodiments thereof. Many other ramifications and variations are possible within the teachings of the invention. For example:
         The container and piston can be replaced by a tube or pouch, such as the ones used for everyday products. This eliminates 2 components and uses a technology already being used for many products.   The dispenser and pump-tube can be made in different materials from the ones specified here.   The dispenser can be mounted to any variety of containers from the ones indicated here.   A different container can be used such as a bottle container, connected directly to the fluid-pump-dispenser, or another type of container.   The housing and actuator can have many different shapes, such as circular, oval, triangular, trapezoidal, etc.   The pump-tube can have many different cross-section shapes, such as circular, oval, rectangular, etc.   The components (such as the housing, actuator and container) can be made in more than one color, allowing the product to be customizable to different uses.       

     Thus the scope of the invention should be determined by the appended claims and their legal equivalents, and not by the examples given.