Metered liquid squeeze dispenser

The present invention is a metered liquid squeezable dispenser, which includes a squeezable container having an open end and neck for dispensing liquid. A trap chamber base non-rotatably attached to the container and a trap chamber is rotatably attached to the trap chamber base. A dip tube is located in the base and extends into the container. There is an air inlet orifice located on the base. The trap chamber has a dispensing outlet, at least one metered dosage inlet pipe passing through the bottom of the trap chamber, extending upwardly therefrom for a predetermined height, and an air pipe passing through its bottom. The base and trap chamber align with one another for squeeze, metered dose filling, and then rotational realignment for squeeze dispensing.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
 1. Field of the Invention
 The present invention involves a metered liquid squeeze dispenser which
 provides for fixed dosage dispensing from a squeeze bottle in which
 rotating and squeezing sequences permit selected, repeated dosage
 dispensing.
 2. Information Disclosure Statement
 The following prior art is representative of dispenser containers:
 U.S. Pat. No. 2,593,591 to Benjamin David Menkin, et al. and Frank M.
 Darling, describes in a fluid dispenser comprising a container, cylinder
 means removably mounted upon said container and depending thereinto,
 piston means mounted for reciprocation within and normally projecting
 yieldably upwardly beyond said cylinder means and including axially spaced
 abutments, said cylinder and piston means defining a continuous
 communicating fluid passage therethrough, valve means in said cylinder
 means and said piston means, the latter means being effective to pump a
 fluid upwardly from said container through said passage, and an axially
 ported cup disposed at the upper end of said piston means in a position to
 receive a flow from said passage: a wall of the cylinder being formed with
 radial holes in axially spaced relationship, a spring clamp clampable
 around the cylinder and including an end adapted to e carried in any
 selected hole for engagement with said abutments to adjust the extent of
 relative reciprocating movement of the piston means within the cylinder
 means.
 U.S. Pat. No. 2,774,517 to James E. Teegardin and Benjamin David Menkin,
 describes a fluid dispensing device comprising a cylinder, an internal
 projection means in the wall of the cylinder, a resilient piston
 operatively mounted in the cylinder, a resilient external projection means
 associated with the piston for limiting its stroke in the cylinder, the
 resiliency of the piston and the external projection means being adapted
 for snapping them past the internal projection means into the cylinder, a
 valve mounted in the wall of the cylinder for valving fluid thereinto, a
 second valve for valving fluid out of the cylinder, and a spring means for
 urging the piston through a return stroke.
 U.S. Pat. No. 3,628,700 to Robert J. Dodoghue, describes a container and
 closure assembly has a resilient lower storage chamber and a transparent
 upper dispensing chamber defined either in one unitary body, or in two
 units which are releasably secured to one another. A transfer tube in a
 fitment between the chambers serves to transfer a predetermined quantity
 of liquid from the lower to the upper chamber upon squeezing the lower
 one. The upper portion of the dispensing and measuring chamber has
 discharge orifices defined therein, or in an insert provided in a top
 opening thereof. The insert may comprise either an orifice pattern, an
 atomizing spray nozzle, or a foam nozzle and may be capped off by a
 conventional cap.
 U.S. Pat. No. 4,077,547 to Robert J. Donoghue, describes a measuring and
 dispensing apparatus for use with a flexible-wall container is provided by
 the combination of a dispensing means having an enlarged cylindrical base
 portion and an upstanding portion, the upstanding portion having an upper
 end and a lower end, the lower end disposed on the enlarged base portion,
 the upstanding portion also having a bore therein and an outlet orifice
 disposed therein proximate the upper end and in fluid communication with
 the bore; the enlarged based portion having container engaging means
 thereon; wall means disposed around the dispensing means and forming, with
 he enlarged base portion a fluid measuring chamber, the chamber having an
 upper end having a fluid outlet; and a tube having an inlet end and an
 outlet end, the tube disposed so that the outlet end is disposed in the
 bore in the upstanding portion of the dispensing means and in fluid
 communication therewith, the inlet end adapted to be disposed in the
 flexible-wall container.
 U.S. Pat. No. 4,143,794 to Michael G. Stratford and Ronald H. D. F. Lee,
 describes a dosing device for fluid which comprises a dip tube extension
 situated within a dosage cup, the extension being constructed to enable
 fluid to pass from within said extension into the dosage cup and a dosage
 determining sleeve slidably engaging a side wall of the extension and
 movable relative to the extension between positions enabling retention
 within said cup of a selected dosage volume of fluid and return of any
 excess fluid into said extension.
 U.S. Pat. No. 4,420,100 to John J. Mueller, describes dispensing apparatus
 for a flexible container, including a closure for the container and an
 expansible bladder associated with the closure and adapted to fit within
 the container to expand and displace the dispensed contents. The closure
 has two openings, one at which it is attached to the container and the
 other forming an outlet for dispensing. A conduit extends from the bladder
 into the closure and communicates to the exterior of the closure and
 container through one of the two openings. The outlet opening is
 constructed to allow the contents to flow only in a direction from the
 container during use and a check valve allows flow through the conduit
 only into the bladder.
 U.S. Pat. No. 4,747,521 to Ronald G. Saffron, describes a dosage device for
 the delivery of a measured quantity of a liquid or flowable paste, such as
 a medicament, comprises a cup component and a compartmented component
 which is secured within the cup component and rotatable with respect
 thereto about an axis, the cup component having a radial base wall with an
 opening radially offset from the axis, the compartmented component having
 axially extending walls bounding a plurality of compartments each of which
 has an open end and each of which can be brought, by relative rotation of
 the two components, into alignment with the base wall opening, each
 compartment having in its outer wall an outlet which is at a respective
 different axial spacing from its open end, the cup component and that
 outer wall bounding a dispensing space to receive liquid or flowable paste
 from the compartment.
 U.S. Pat. No. 4,757,922 to David J. Landecker, describes a dispenser for
 liquid acrylic resin and powder, the dispenser having a dish, a raised
 inlet above the dish, and a shield for the inlet. A bottle or the like is
 mounted in coaxial relation therewith for dispensing fresh quantities of
 liquid from the reservoir bottle to the dispenser dish. The outlet in the
 dispenser dish is above the level of the liquid contained in the dish to
 prevent return of the liquid and has an umbrella-like shield over the
 inlet to prevent the backflow to prevent contaminated resin from returning
 to the bottle.
 U.S. Pat. No. 4,875,603 to Jack Weinstein, describes the present invention
 is directed to a metered dispensing cap system for containers such as
 tubes and the like. The system has a base element which is attachable to
 the neck of a squeezable container and which has a sidewall portion and a
 top. The base element has an opening in the top for outflow of a material
 from a squeezable container into a meter element. This base element may be
 removably attachable, e.g. by being screwed on, or may be permanently
 attached, e.g. by being integrally molded with the container. A one way
 valve is located in the opening of the base element to permit the flow of
 material from a container through the opening while preventing backflow.
 The system also includes a meter element which acts like an inverted trap
 and which has a sidewall portion and a top with an opening in the top for
 dispensing of the material therefrom. The sidewall portion of the meter
 element is slightly larger than and has the same across section shape as
 the sidewall portion of the base element and this sidewall portion of the
 meter element is higher than and located about and encompasses the
 sidewall portion of the base element. Further, the meter element is
 vertically slidable along the sidewall portion of the base element with an
 upward position for receiving a volume of material in a pre-determined
 amount when the squeezable container is squeezed and downward position
 whereby the opening in the top of the meter element allows for dispensing
 of the desired amount of fluid when the meter element is pushed down.
 U.S. Pat. No. 4,941,598 to Lawrence E. Lambelet, Jr. et al. and Thomas A.
 Frazier, describes apparatus for dispensing predetermined amounts of
 viscous product. The apparatus has a conduit which is telescopically
 received with a cap. The cap and conduit define an expandable dosing
 chamber which expands to a predetermined maximum volume when product is
 introduced into the chamber through the conduit. A check valve prevents
 back flow of product through the conduit. Collapsing the chamber from its
 maximum volume to a minimum volume dispenses the product from the dosing
 chamber.
 U.S. Pat. No. 5,014,881 to Raimund Andris, describes in order to create a
 metering and spray pump of high functional reliability, consisting of as
 few individual parts as possible and able to be produced with as low
 production costs, in particular assembly costs, as possible, in which the
 pumping member consists of an elastically-flexible bellows, which is
 arranged connectively between mutually movable, dimensionally stable
 housing parts, the bellows has at its one end, as axial extension, a
 radially flexible, sleeve-like annular wall section, which encloses in
 sealing manner like a valve the circumferential surface of a socket, in
 the form of a ring or pot, integrally molded onto the housing part
 executing the pumping strokes. The other end of the bellows is provided
 with an end wall section which has at least one passage opening and covers
 like a valve one or more outlet openings of a housing end wall of the
 second housing part or forms the valve seat for a valve closing member
 which is molded onto a displacement body arranged in the bellows.
 U.S. Pat. No. 5,058,778 to Jack Weinstein, describes squeeze bottle
 pumpless nozzle dispenser has a first lid, a second lid, a dispensing
 nozzle, a shut-off valve and a dip tube. The first lid, located on the
 top, has a dispensing orifice upper portion and a venting orifice upper
 portion. Each of these is located in either a track or a track follower
 formed in the bottom of the first lid and in alignment therewith. It has
 means for rotatable attachment to the second lid. The second lid has means
 for attaching to the squeeze bottle and includes the lower portions of a
 dispensing orifice and a venting orifice. Each of these is located in
 either a track or track follower and is located on the top of the second
 lid in alignment with the counterparts located on the bottom of the first
 lid. A shut-off valve is located within the lower or upper portion of the
 venting orifice, responsive to pressure. When the bottle is squeezed, the
 shut-off valve will close the vent so that fluid material will only exit
 through the dispensing orifice and thus through the nozzle. The first lid
 may be placed in a first position where neither the upper portion of the
 dispensing orifice nor the upper portion of the venting orifice is in
 alignment with its lower portion. When the first lid is rotated to a
 second position, there is simultaneous alignment of the upper and lower
 portions of both the dispensing orifice and the venting orifice.
 U.S. Pat. No. 5,110,051 to Robert A. Bennett, describes a squeeze sprayer
 device is attached to a squeezable container of fluid. The device includes
 a capped cylinder containing an axially moveable discharge valve in the
 form of an air piston which unseats in response to air pressure to open
 the discharge upon squeezing the container for producing a fine mist spray
 as pressurized air admixes with the liquid at the discharge orifice. A
 one-way valve controlled air vent on the piston closes during the spray
 operation. Upon release of squeeze pressure, the piston returns, its
 one-way valve opens for venting, and the piston seal cuts off the spray.
 U.S. Pat. No. 5,127,553 to Jack Weinstein, describes the present invention
 is a liquid metered dispensing container of the squeezable type. The
 squeezable container has an opening for dispensing liquid therefrom at one
 end and a bottom at the other end. A non-flexible trap chamber is
 connected to the opening and extends outwardly therefrom. The trap chamber
 has a lower end inserted into the container opening and has an inlet
 orifice extending from the lower end into the container. The inlet orifice
 is adapted to receive a dip tube which is attached thereto and extends
 close to or at the bottom of the container. The trap chamber has an upper
 end with a dispensing orifice. This is small enough to prevent dripping of
 liquid therefrom by gravity when the bottle is inverted but is large
 enough to dispense liquid therefrom when the bottle itself is squeezed. A
 one way valve is connected to the lower end of the trap chamber which
 permits liquid to flow from the container to the trap chamber but not vice
 versa. The trap chamber may have indicia so that exact dosage levels of
 different amounts may be squeezed into the chamber, or the chamber itself
 may have a single, predetermined volume.
 U.S. Pat. No. 5,330,081 to Robert A. Davenport, describes a portion
 measuring device of the type having a first, flexible, reservoir having an
 inlet, and a second, portion measuring, reservoir in fluid communication
 with said first reservoir. The first, flexible, reservoir is of a larger
 volume than that heretofore known, and may have a handle to aid in
 holding. The second, portion measuring, reservoir has a rotatable closure
 with a pouring spout or opening therein. A configured periphery is
 provided on the closure to aid in turning the same.
 U.S. Pat. No. 5,588,563 to Chin-Ching Liu, describes a quantitative
 dispenser including a cylindrical body with a bottom. A separator plate is
 engaged in an inner annular slot on the top of the cylindrical body. The
 separator plate has a central engaging hole and a flow-through opening. A
 cover is engaged over the outer periphery of said body. The cover has an
 outlet with a sealing cap and engages the separator plate. A scale divider
 has a sleeve part and a wing part. The sleeve part is slipped on a hollow
 engaging shaft and the wing part is able to be fixed as a way to form a
 measuring scale on the inner periphery of the cover. A scale is provided
 on an outer surface of said cover. The powdered mile stored in the body
 can pass through the flow-through opening on the periphery of the
 separator plate into a measuring space. The powder is then dispensed
 through an outlet in the cover.
 Notwithstanding the prior art, the present invention is neither taught nor
 rendered obvious thereby.
 SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
 The present invention is directed to a metered liquid squeezable dispenser,
 which comprises a squeezable container having an open end and neck for
 dispensing liquid. A trap chamber base for a rotatable attachment of a
 trap chamber thereto is provided. The base is adapted to fit and lock onto
 the neck of the squeezable container, and has a dip tube located thereon
 and extending downwardly from a dip tube orifice on the bottom of the dip
 tube base. The dip tube base also has an air inlet orifice located
 thereon. The trap chamber is rotatably connected to the trap chamber base,
 with the trap chamber having sidewalls, a bottom, a top, and a dispensing
 outlet. The trap chamber has at least one metered dosage inlet pipe
 passing through the bottom of the trap chamber, extending upwardly
 therefrom for a predetermined height, and has a separate air pipe passing
 through the bottom of the trap chamber, extending upwardly therefrom, for
 a height at least equal to the height of the metered dosage inlet pipe.
 There is a first position in which the dispensing outlet of the trap
 chamber and the air inlet orifice of the trap chamber base are adapted to
 be closed when a metered dosage inlet pipe of the trap chamber and the dip
 tube of the trap chamber base are in alignment with one another.
 Therefore, a metered dosage inlet pipe is open to the dip tube when the
 air inlet orifice of the trap chamber base and the air pipe of the trap
 chamber are not aligned with one another. In this first position, the
 container is squeezed for movement of liquid from the container to the
 trap chamber and return of excess liquid from the trap chamber back into
 the container via the metered dosage inlet pipe and dip tube via gravity
 flow. A diaphragm accommodates volume expansion due to addition of liquid
 and airspace air.
 There is a second position wherein all metered dosage inlet pipes of the
 trap chamber and the dip tube of the trap chamber base are not in
 alignment with one another. In this second position, the air pipe of the
 trap chamber and the air inlet orifice of the trap chamber base are in
 alignment with one another. Further, in this second position, the
 dispensing outlet of the trap chamber is open for metered dispensing by
 squeezing.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PRESENT INVENTION
 The present invention metered liquid squeezable device is described in the
 Summary above, it may be formed of plastic components or a combination of
 materials and the container may be in the form of a cylindrical bottle as
 shown in the Figures below or in some other shape or mode as long as it is
 squeezable and resilient and has an open end for attachment of the trap
 chamber base thereto.
 Additionally, while the drawings show metered dosage arrangements with
 external, side wall indicia, these could be visually, e.g. by using clear
 plastic components. Further, in the case of a single metered dosage
 arrangement, simple fill and dispense positions could be utilized.
 Alternatively, see through positional internal indicia could be used.
 Finally, the device could be made by a manufacturer without any indicia at
 all and then be sold to a filler, product maker who could put labelling on
 the components which could include printed indicia.
 Referring now to FIG. 1, there is shown a present invention dispenser 1
 which includes a bottle container 3, a trap chamber 5 and a trap chamber
 base 7. Container 3 has side walls 9 which taper into neck 11 with a
 collar 13. Above collar 13 would be an extended piece (not shown) with
 means for attaching trap chamber base 7 thereto and for preventing
 significant rotation of trap chamber base 7.
 Referring to FIGS. 1, 2, 3 and 4 collectively, with like parts identically
 numbered, trap chamber base 7 has a side wall 15 and indicia 17, 19 and
 21. It also contains an air inlet orifice 39 and a dip tube 61 extending
 therethrough, as shown especially in FIG. 2. Trap chamber base 7 has an
 open area 63 for fitting onto bottle container 3 and has internal locks
 such as short track 41 on its inside wall which would snap and lock onto
 protrusions on the upper wall of container 3 (not shown). This may be
 permanent locking or temporary or removable locking. Trap chamber 5 has an
 air pipe 35 and a one cc metered dosage inlet pipe 33 and a two cc metered
 dosage inlet pipe 37. These could be other dosage amounts and could
 involve more than two such metered dosage inlet pipes. It also has a
 diaphragm 31, a sidewall 25, a top 23 and a bottom 22. There is also a
 dispensing outlet 29 with housing 27 protruding outwardly from trap
 chamber 5. In some embodiments, the dispensing outlet housing may be a
 snap-on or screw-on component or otherwise fittably removable to permit
 cleaning. Dispensing outlet 29 has a pipe 53 extending through bottom 22
 and another vertical pipe 55 which will cooperate with pipe 53 when in a
 different position to permit dispensing. Pipe 53 and vertical pipe 55 act
 together with another component described above to create a shut-off valve
 arrangement and FIG. 2 is in the shut-off position. Note that diaphragm 31
 may be the upper portion of the top chamber itself, i.e. a flexible top.
 FIG. 3 specifically shows a one cc metered dosage inlet pipe 33 because it
 is in alignment with dip tube 61 shown in FIGS. 2 and 4. In FIG. 4
 protrusion 69 has a wide end top for insertion into a receiving orifice on
 the underside of bottom 51 of trap chamber 5. This permits rotatable
 connection of trap chamber 5 to trap chamber base 7.
 Referring now to FIG. 5 with identical parts identically numbered, bottle
 container 3 is squeezed as shown by the arrows and, because air inlet
 orifice 39 is closed off, liquid contained in bottle container 3 is forced
 upwardly into trap chamber 5 via dip tube 61 and this is shown as liquid
 75 in FIG. 5. Because trap chamber 5 is otherwise closed off except at the
 one cc metered dosage inlet pipe 33 and liquid is being forced up the one
 cc metered dosage inlet pipe 33, air trapped in trap chamber 5 would
 resist liquid movements or have to be compressed. Therefore diaphragm 31
 is included to accommodate necessary volumetric expansion and air outlet
 22 permits air above diaphragm 31 to enter and exit in the space above. In
 some preferred embodiments, the air inlet pipe 33 may contain a gravity
 valve 38 which would close when the present invention device is inverted
 to avoid undesired movement of container material. Thus, liquid 75
 displaces air and forces diaphragm 31 to expand as shown.
 Referring now to FIG. 6, once a user releases from squeezing the container
 (arrows), the liquid will level down to the top of the one cc metered
 dosage inlet pipe 33 and excess above that level will return via dip tube
 61 and diaphragm 31 will return to recover to its rest position. The
 remaining liquid is shown as liquid 75' in FIG. 6.
 Next, a user will rotate trap chamber 5 to the dispensing position (indicia
 21 of FIG. 1) as shown by the arrow in FIG. 7. FIG. 8 shows a front cut
 view of the upper aspects of is FIG. 7 and now shows air inlet orifice 39
 in alignment with air pipe 35 and also shows pipe 53 and another vertical
 pipe 55 in alignment with truncated "U" shaped orifice 57. FIG. 9 shows a
 top view of this relationship with the shaded areas represents aligned
 flow path shown also in FIG. 8 between trap chamber 5 and trap chamber
 base 7.
 FIG. 10 shows a side partially cut view illustrating dispensing. When
 container 3 is squeezed at the arrows, air goes through air inlet orifice
 39 and air pipe 35 and liquid is forced by the air pressure through air
 inlet orifice 39, up air pipe 35 and the air pressure forces a liquid
 material through vertical pipe 55, truncated "U" shaped orifice 57 and
 pipe 53 and out dispensing outlet 29. Thus, the dispensed materials is
 shown in part as liquid drop 101. When all of the liquid is dispensed, air
 from outside the container returns to equalize pressure.
 Going back to FIG. 3, if the alternate dosage (indicia 17 of FIG. 1) had
 been selected, alignment would be with two cc metered dosage inlet pipe 37
 and this is illustrated in FIG. 11. There would be n number of metered
 dosage inlet pipes with corresponding alignment position to offer more
 than two dosage choices.
 Obviously, numerous modifications and variations of the present invention
 are possible in light of the above teachings. It is therefore understood
 that within the scope of the appended claims, the invention may be
 practiced otherwise than as specifically described herein.