METERING DEVICE

Abstract: The invention relates to a device for dosed dispensing of a liquid, comprising a container with a closable outlet opening and a housing of a rigid material enclosing the container and provided with pressing means accessible from the outside for urging the liquid out of the container, which pressing means are formed by a resiliently deformable part of a wall of the housing. The invention further relates to such a dispensing device with an outlet nozzle releasably connected to the housing and co-acting with the outlet opening, which nozzle is provided with means for breaking a seal closing the outlet opening and is displaceable between a rest position in which the breaking means are situated at a distance from the seal and an operating position in which the breaking means engage on the seal and a connection is formed between the content of the container and the outlet nozzle. The breaking means can herein take the form of a tubular member with an oblique, sharp end edge. The container can be a resiliently deformable tube.

Description: METERING DEVICE The invention relates to a device for metered dispensing of a product, in particular a liquid, comprising a container for the product with a closable outlet opening and a housing at least partially enclosing the container and provided with pressing means accessible from the outside for urging the product out of the container. Such a device is known from for instance the European patent specification 0 579 906. The known metering device, which is intended specifically for glue types which set rapidly under the influence of the air humidity such as cyanoacrylate adhesives, consists of a tube of a soft, non-resilient type of aluminium which is received in a housing of a resilient plastic such as polyethylene. Between the tube and the housing is arranged a resilient medium such as a gel or rubber. The neck of the tube protrudes outside the housing and is provided with an outlet nozzle screwed thereon which is locked against unscrewing by means of a ratchet tooth connection in the upper edge of the housing. This is important because when the outlet nozzle is screwed onto the tube the outlet opening of the tube which up to this point is closed is pricked open and closure of the tube is thereafter ensured by a cap to be screwed fixedly onto the outlet nozzle. Owing to the presence of the resilient medium between the housing and the tube, when the housing is compressed the tube will also be compressed, whereby the liquid is forced out of the tube. When the pressure on the housing is removed it will spring back, wherein due to the resilient medium the per se non-resilient tube also follows the spring-back movement so that dripping of the liquid is avoided. The known dispensing device has a number of drawbacks relating in particular to the production and use thereof. The production costs of the dispensing device are thus relatively high as a consequence of the chosen construction and the materials used, and this represents a significant obstacle to sales of such a consumer product. In addition, the risk of spillage or even leakage of the glue due to careless use of the device is comparatively great . Because the dispensing device is intended specifically for cyanoacrylate adhesives, which set very rapidly and adhere very strongly, this is unacceptable. The invention therefore has for its object to provide a dispensing device of the above described type which is improved in various respects . According to a first aspect of the invention this is achieved in that the housing is manufactured from a rigid material and the pressing means comprise at least one resiliently deformable part of a wall of the housing. The choice of a rigid material considerably simplifies production of the dispensing device. The resiliently deformable wall part preferably comprises a pressing surface connected to the wall by means of at least one resiliently flexible connecting part, wherein the or each connecting part can then display an at least partially curved or bent form. In this manner, despite the rigid character of the wall of the housing, a resilient pressing part is nevertheless obtained. A solution which is both structurally attractive and obvious to the user is obtained herein when the or each connecting part has a number of concentric segments which are mutually connected by bridge pieces at radially staggered positions. According to a second aspect of the invention the dispensing device comprises an outlet nozzle releasably connected to the housing and co-acting with the outlet opening, which nozzle is provided with means for breaking a seal closing the outlet opening and is displaceable between a rest position in which the breaking means are situated at a distance from the seal and an operating position in which the breaking means engage on the seal and a connection is formed between the content of the container and the outlet nozzle. A precise dispensing of the liquid can still be ensured hereby despite the often relatively large outlet opening of the container, while the container can thus also remain hermetically sealed until first use and need only be opened for the first time at the moment of use by displacing the outlet nozzle. The shelf-life of the adhesive is enhanced considerably in this way. In order to enable opening of the container with little effort, the breaking means preferably take the form of an at least partially tubular member with an oblique, sharp end edge. The seal of the container is pierced gradually by the oblique cutting edge, thereby achieving a steady application of force. In order to prevent unintentional opening of the container while the dispensing device is not yet in use, it is recommended that the outlet nozzle be locked against displacement in its rest position. For this purpose the housing can for instance have an edge enclosing the outlet opening, along which edge the outlet nozzle is displaceable, while in addition the edge and the outlet nozzle have co-acting snap-coupling means. A very good locking is herein obtained when the snap- coupling means are formed by at least one protrusion arranged on the outlet nozzle or the edge and a receiving space therefor arranged in the edge or the outlet nozzle and closed by at least one resiliently flexible locking arm. In order to prevent the outlet nozzle, which together with a cap for arranging thereon closes the container, from being released unintentionally from the housing and container, the outlet nozzle is preferably also locked against displacement in its operating position. To this end the housing and the outlet nozzle can have co-acting snap-coupling means which can be formed for instance by at least one stop arranged on the outlet nozzle or the edge and, co-acting therewith, a resiliently flexible securing arm connected to the edge or the outlet nozzle. Making use of the combination of a stop and a securing arm to lock the outlet nozzle instead of a series of ratchet teeth as in the known dispensing device achieves that the outlet nozzle is only locked when it has actually taken up its operating position and a liquid-tight connection is thus effected between the container and the outlet nozzle. The user can thus always feel whether the outlet nozzle has indeed been displaced fully to its operating position and displacement of the nozzle to only an intermediate position wherein leakage of the liquid could occur is prevented. The dispensing device is preferably provided with a cap co-acting with the housing and closing the outlet nozzle, which cap is provided with means for displacing the outlet nozzle from its rest position to its operating position. By using the cap to displace the outlet nozzle a great force can be exerted relatively easily on the nozzle. A simple embodiment is obtained when the outlet nozzle is rotatably displaceable and has at least one engaging member and the displacing means comprise at least one actuating member co-acting with the engaging member. According to a third aspect of the invention the container and the housing are mutually connected by a snap coupling. During rotating displacement of the outlet nozzle to its operating position the container can hereby be prevented from simultaneously being unscrewed from the housing, which could occur if the container were screwed into the housing, as is the case in the known dispensing device . According to a fourth aspect of the invention the container is a resiliently deformable tube. Thus is achieved that the container springs back of itself when the housing is no longer compressed. The use of a resilient pressure medium as required in the known dispensing device can hereby be dispensed with, which results in a considerable simplification of the construction. In respect of the shelf-life of the liquid for dispensing, in particular adhesive, the tube is preferably manufactured from a metal, in particular aluminium. So as to provide the aluminium with the required resilient character, the so-called tempering or annealing following forming of the tube can be carried out at a lower than usual tempering heat during manufacture of the tube . For reasons of production engineering the housing is preferably open on one side and comprises a cover closing the open side and accommodating the outlet side of the container. Finally, the invention also relates to a housing, outlet nozzle, cap and tube for use in the above described dispensing device. The invention is now elucidated on the basis of an embodiment, wherein reference is made to the annexed drawing, in which: Fig. 1 shows a partly broken-away perspective view with exploded parts of a dispensing device according to the invention, fig. 2 shows a longitudinal section of the dispensing device in assembled state, fig. 3 is a partly cross-sectional side view of the dispensing device during use, fig. 4 is a front view of the pressing means of the dispensing device of fig. 1-3, and fig. 5 and 6 show views corresponding with fig. 4 of two alternative configurations of the pressing means . A dispensing device 1 for a liquid 2, for instance a cyanoacrylate adhesive, is provided with a container 3 in the form of a resiliently deformable aluminium tube 3 and a housing 4 enclosing the tube. Housing 4, which is manufactured from a relatively rigid material, for instance a hard plastic type, comprises a lower part 5 in which tube 3 is received and a cover 6 closing this part which is mounted thereon by means of snap-in protrusions 7 which engage in apertures 8 in lower part 5. Cover 6 is provided with an opening 9 through which protrudes the neck 10 of tube 3. Neck 10 is herein provided with a collar 11 which is snapped into place between resilient lips 12 on the underside of opening 9 in cover 6. In two mutually opposite side walls 13 of lower part 5 of housing 4 are arranged pressing means 14 with which a pressure force can be exerted from the outside on container 3. In the shown embodiment these pressing means 14 take the form of a resiliently deformable part of the per se rigid wall 13 which consists of a pressing surface 18 which is connected to the surrounding wall 13 by means of resiliently flexible connecting parts 19. In the shown embodiment connecting parts 19 take a partly curved and partly bent form which gives connecting parts 19 their resilient character. Due to this form the connecting parts 19 have as it were "space" to absorb deformations by bending to a greater or lesser extent. In the shown embodiment connecting parts 19 comprise a number of concentric segments, in the shown example ellipsoids, which are mutually connected by means of bridge pieces 21 staggered in radial direction. Bridge pieces 21 are herein staggered through 90° between each successive segment 20, though other angular values can of course also be envisaged. Other forms are also possible, as shown in fig. 5 and 6, instead of the shown configuration of connecting parts 19 and pressing surface 18. In order to distribute the pressure force exerted by pressing surface 18 over container 3, a substantially V- shaped transfer member 15 is also arranged in housing 4, which member consists of two wings 41 connected by a beam 16. Beam 16 is anchored in lower part 5 of housing 4 in two grooves 17 formed between ribs 22 protruding from the inner wall of this part 5. Ribs 22 have a shape fanning out toward the open side of part 5 so that transfer member 15 can be easily centred in groove 17. Dispensing device 1 is further provided with an outlet nozzle 23 which is connected to cover 6 of housing 4. Outlet nozzle 23 co-acts with the outlet opening 30 of container 3 and is provided on its underside with means 24 for breaking a seal 25 by which outlet opening 30 of container 3 is closed. These breaking means 24 comprise a tubular part 26 with an obliquely running, sharp bottom edge 27 which eventually cuts through seal 25. Tubular part 26 continues into a channel 31 which eventually debouches into a relatively small dispensing opening 32. When dispensing device 1 is not in use the dispensing opening 32 is closed by a cap 33 provided with an edge 34 which encloses dispensing opening 32. Outlet nozzle 23 can be displaced relative to housing 4 and container 3 between a rest position, in which cutting edge 27 lies at a distance above seal 25, and an operating position in which cutting edge 27 has pierced seal 25 and a liquid connection is formed between the interior of container 3 and the channel 31 of nozzle 23. Outlet nozzle 23 is locked against displacement in both positions. When device 1 is supplied to a user, outlet nozzle 23 is situated in its rest position. In this position the outlet nozzle 23 is snapped onto a collar 22 of cover 6. Outlet nozzle 23 is herein provided with two protrusions 28 which are located diametrically opposite each other and which are pressed fixedly into a recess or receiving space 36 in collar 22. In this position outlet nozzle 23 is held fast since above each receiving space 36 are arranged two resiliently flexible locking arms 37 which press protrusion 28 into receiving space 36. Each receiving space 36 is situated at the beginning of a screw thread part 29 recessed into collar 22. Prior to first use of device 1 the user must displace outlet nozzle 23 to its operating position. For this purpose outlet nozzle 23 is rotated a half-turn in the direction of the screw thread. Protrusion 28 is herein moved upward out of receiving space 36 counter to the resilience of locking arms 37, whereafter it will further follow screw thread 29. In order to also lock outlet nozzle 23 against further displacement in its operating position, there are arranged on the underside thereof two stops 38 which are placed diametrically opposite each other and which during the rotation of outlet nozzle 23 slide over the associated resiliently flexible securing arms 40 of cover 6 and press these arms downward. At the end of the rotation movement of outlet nozzle 23 the stops 38 come to rest in recesses 39 in cover 6, wherein securing arms 40 spring upward once again and thus retain stops 38. Outlet nozzle 23 is then locked against rotation in both directions. Outlet nozzle 23 is thus prevented from being detached from housing 4 once the seal 25 in outlet opening 30 of container 3 has been broken. Cap 33 can be used as a handle to bring about rotation of outlet nozzle 23, whereby a relatively great force can be exerted on outlet nozzle 23. To this end the outlet nozzle 23 is provided with a number of asymmetrical engaging members 44 which co-act with actuating members 43 in cap 33. Due to the asymmetrical character of engaging members 44 the outlet nozzle 23 can only be rotated by cap 33 in one direction. With a rotation movement of cap 33 in the opposite direction the actuating members 43 will slide over engaging members 44 without co-displacing them. In order to prevent unintentional rotation of caps 33 relative to housing 4 during transport to the user, whereby outlet nozzle 23 would therefore also be partly rotated and seal 25 could be pierced, which could result in leakage, a sealing strip 45 is arranged along the bottom edge of cap 33 which is connected to cap 33 by means of break-off pieces 46. Strip 45 has a protruding part 47 on which the user can pull, whereafter strip 45 can be torn loose of cap 33. In order to prevent cap 33 nonetheless being rotated, despite the presence of sealing strip 45, during temporary deformation of the strip, stops 42 are further arranged on cover 6. Owing to these stops 42 the strip 45 is torn loose of cap 33 in all circumstances when this latter is rotated in the direction of the operating position of nozzle 23. In this manner a possible rotation of cap 33, whereby seal 25 is broken, is always made plainly visible to the user due to the absence of strip 45. Stops 42 are also asymmetrical, so that a rotation movement of cap 33 in the opposite direction, wherein it slips over outlet nozzle 23, is permitted. The operation of dispensing device 1 is now as follows. After strip 45 has been torn away from cap 33, outlet nozzle 23 can be rotated through a half-turn by rotating cap 33, whereby seal 25 in outlet opening 30 of container 3 is cut through. A liquid connection is hereby formed between container 3 and outlet nozzle 23. After removing cap 33 the liquid can now be dispensed by holding dispensing device 1 upside down and by compressing pressing means 14 with the fingers (fig. 3) . The pressure exerted on pressing means 14 is transmitted by transfer member 15 to the walls of container 3, whereby the liquid is forced therefrom. When pressing means 14 are released, they will spring back to their starting position. Because container 3 is a resiliently deformable tube, this will also spring back to its starting position, whereby an underpressure is created in tube 3 which is transmitted to dispensing opening 32 so that the liquid is as it were sucked back into tube 3. Running or dripping of liquid 2 is thus prevented. Tube 3, which will be manufactured from an aluminium alloy, derives its resilient character from the fact that after forming thereof it is only tempered or annealed at a relatively low temperature in the order of 270-280°C. Although the invention is elucidated above with reference to one embodiment, it will be apparent to the skilled person that many variants hereof are possible. The scope of the invention is therefore defined solely by the following claims.

Claims: CLAIMS 1. Device for metered dispensing of a product, in particular a liquid, comprising a container for the product with a closable outlet opening and a housing at least partially enclosing the container and provided with pressing means accessible from the outside for urging the product out of the container, characterized in that the housing is manufactured from a rigid material and the pressing means comprise at least one resiliently deformable part of a wall of the housing. 2. Dispensing device as claimed in claim 1, characterized in that the resiliently deformable wall part comprises a pressing surface connected to the wall by means of at least one resiliently flexible connecting part. 3. Dispensing device as claimed in claim 2, characterized in that the or each connecting part has an at least partially curved or bent form. 4. Dispensing device as claimed in claim 3 , characterized in that the or each connecting part has a number of concentric segments which are mutually connected by bridge pieces at radially staggered positions . 5. Dispensing device as claimed in any of the foregoing claims or as according to the preamble of claim 1, characterized by an outlet nozzle releasably connected to the housing and co-acting with the outlet opening, which nozzle is provided with means for breaking a seal closing the outlet opening and is displaceable between a rest position in which the breaking means are situated at a distance from the seal and an operating position in which the breaking means engage on the seal and a connection is formed between the content of the container and the outlet nozzle. 6. Dispensing device as claimed in claim 5, characterized in that the breaking means take the form of an at least partially tubular member with an oblique, sharp end edge. 7. Dispensing device as claimed in claim 6, characterized in that the outlet nozzle is locked against displacement in its rest position. 8. Dispensing device as claimed in claim 7, characterized in that the housing has an edge enclosing the outlet opening, along which edge the outlet nozzle is displaceable, and the edge and the outlet nozzle have co- acting snap-coupling means. 9. Dispensing device as claimed in claim 8, characterized in that the snap-coupling means are formed by at least one protrusion arranged on the outlet nozzle or the edge and a receiving space therefor arranged in the edge or the outlet nozzle and closed by at least one resiliently flexible locking arm. 10. Dispensing device as claimed in any of the claims 5-9, characterized in that the outlet nozzle is locked against displacement in its operating position. 11. Dispensing device as claimed in claim 10, characterized in that the housing and the outlet nozzle have co-acting snap-coupling means. 12. Dispensing device as claimed in claim 11, characterized in that the snap-coupling means are formed by at least one stop arranged on the outlet nozzle or the edge and, co-acting therewith, a resiliently flexible securing arm connected to the edge or the outlet nozzle. 13. Dispensing device as claimed in any of the claims 5-12, characterized by a cap co-acting with the housing and closing the outlet nozzle, which cap is provided with means for displacing the outlet nozzle from its rest position to its operating position. 14. Dispensing device as claimed in claim 13 , characterized in that the outlet nozzle is rotatably displaceable and has at least one engaging member, and the displacing means comprise at least one actuating member co-acting with the engaging member. 15. Dispensing device as claimed in any of the foregoing claims or as according to the preamble of claim 1, characterized in that the container and the housing are mutually connected by means of a snap coupling. 16. Dispensing device as claimed in any of the foregoing claims or as according to the preamble of claim 1, characterized in that the container is a resiliently deformable tube . 17. Dispensing device as claimed in claim 16, characterized in that the tube is manufactured from a metal, in particular aluminium. 18. Dispensing device as claimed in any of the foregoing claims, characterized in that the housing is open on one side and comprises a cover closing the open side and accommodating the outlet side of the container. 19. Housing evidently intended for use in a dispensing device as claimed in any of the foregoing claims . 20. Outlet nozzle evidently intended for use in a dispensing device as claimed in any of the claims 5-18. 21. Cap evidently intended for use in a dispensing device as claimed in any of the claims 13-18. 22. Resiliently deformable tube evidently intended for use in a dispensing device as claimed in any of the claims 16-18.

Inventors: DE JAGER MARINUS LAURENS, VAN CROMVOIRT JOHANNES ANTONIU, WOLF PETER JOHAN, DE JAGER, MARINUS, LAURENS, VAN CROMVOIRT, JOHANNES, ANTONIUS, MARIA, WOLF, PETER, JOHAN
Applicants: CROMVOIRT JOHANNES ANTONIUS MA, JAGER MARINUS LAURENS DE, PERFECTA CHEMIE BV, WOLF PETER JOHAN, DE JAGER, MARINUS, LAURENS, PERFECTA CHEMIE B.V., VAN CROMVOIRT, JOHANNES, ANTONIUS, MARIA, WOLF, PETER, JOHAN
Application year: 1999
Main classification: B65D35
IPC codes: B65D35, B65D51, B65D83