Abstract:
An inlet valve ( 10 ) of a dispenser ( 1 ) or thrust piston pump, for highly reliable and speedy valve function in all vertical or inclined positions of the dispenser ( 1 ) includes, nearer to the pump chamber ( 20 ), a valve ball ( 35 ) operating in response to pressure and, further away from the pump chamber ( 20 ), a valve ball ( 36 ) subject to the force of gravity. Ball ( 36 ) pushes ball ( 35 ) out of its seat ( 33 ) in the event that it is firmly seated in the seat ( 33 ) due to a vacuum in the reservoir ( 9 ) when the dispenser ( 1 ) is turned upside down. The seats ( 33, 34 ) for the two valve balls ( 35, 36 ) are formed by a radially deformable wall ( 54 ), which can be tightly and sealingly supported against balls ( 35, 36 ).

Description:
TECHNICAL FIELD AND BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
     The invention relates to a dispenser. Particularly for flowable media which may be gaseous, powdery, pasty and/or liquid. The dispenser is held and operated single-handedly to discharge the medium. The dispenser is intended for use in various positions. For example with the outlet located downwards or upwards. A valve assembly or valve unit is provided. It responds to changes in position of the dispenser by differing valve states. 
     Such valve units may be an outlet valve, vent valve, mixing valve or the like. The valve unit can control the delivery, pressure or pump chamber. When an inlet valve the volumetrically variable pressure chamber can be filled with medium from a reservoir and through this valve while being expanded or evacuated. The flow direction is then oriented substantially parallel to the pump or valve axis or the like. The valve unit comprises two valves or valve bodies and valve seats following in the flow direction. The upstream valve body is to be translated into its closed position only by gravity. The downstream valve body located nearer to the pressure chamber is translated into its closed position by overpressure in that chamber. An arrangement of valves or valve bodies inverse to the latter is also conceivable. 
     It may be a disadvantage with such dispensers that the valve responds blocked or delayed when in an end position, for example the closed position. The valve body is thereby pulled into its seat by vacuum or the like so that even higher vacuum at the other side is not instantly sufficient to unseat it. This happens particulary with the first valve which closes as a pop or back valve upon the overpressure in the hauling chamber and should instantly open for filling when this chamber is evacuated. This can also concern the second valve. 
     OBJECTS OF THE INVENTION 
     An object is to provide a dispenser which avoids the drawbacks of known configurations or as described. Also a highly reliable valve function should be ensured for a miniaturized dispenser design having components with extremely thin walls. 
     SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
     In the invention means are provided by which the mass of motion energy of the one valve body is used to lift or push the other valve body out of its stop position, particulary its closed position. The first or second valve seat or valve stop may firstly also be transversely or radially resiliently yieldable. Secondly it may be in contact with the associated valve body when in the stop or closed position. This provides a better centering and more reliable seal. The wall thickness of the first or second valve seat may be less than 1.5 or 0.8 mm and expediently between 0.5 and 0.6 mm. On radial play this wall can easily give way to the contact pressure of the valve body. The seat is able to closely adjust over its full circumference to the shape of the valve elements zone in contact with it. The cited wall thickness is less than the thickness of the wall bounding the hauling chamber at its circumference. The valve wall is contersunk with radial spacing within an outer body. 
     For the first or second valve body a guide is provided. It is substantially or entirely free of radial motion play over the full valve motion. Thus the valve body can be transferred without transverse motions from one stop position to the other very quickly. The guide is formed by at least three or five circumferentially distributed projections. Longitudinal edge faces thereof extend over the full motion path of the valve body and permanently slidingly engage this body in all of its motions. The medium can flow between the projections through the associated valve chamber from the inlet to the outlet thereof. Flow resistances or flow velocities along the second valve body are thereby less than along the first valve body. 
     The valve bodies have a specific weight greater than that of the medium. For example by containing a metal, such as steel. For increasing the mass the valve body may consist of metal only in its core. To enhance the cited resilient impact effect on the other valve body the impact face or the outer circumference may also be made of metal. The valve seats or their walls, like all the remaining walls of the dispenser casing or of the piston unit may be made of plastic. The valve bodies could form an assembly unit by being permanently connected to each other directly via a connection. This connector would move commonly with at least one valve body relative to the valve seats. Instead of the valve bodies can be entirely separate balls or the like which are freely movable. 
     Guide means for the medium flow are provided for protecting at least one valve body against being unseated from its seat by the medium flow counter to its weight force and against coming into contact with the other seat. This specially applies to the second valve body located upstream or farther remote from the hauling chamber. These guide means include a shield covering the valve body over the majority of its base area relative to direct impact of the medium flow directed against it. The guide bypasses this medium flow only into an annular duct about the valve body. The medium flow enters transversely into the valve chamber of this valve body. The flow is directed radially directly against the associated wall and between the projections thereof. Thereby the medium emerges only from a single port. This port covers an arc angle of less than 180° or 90° about the valve axis. The port is bounded integrally over its full circumference, for example by the guide face of the guide means. Also the shield may be integral with the wall of this valve chamber. 
     A seat or stop for a valve body, as for the first valve body, may be formed by a component separate from all other seats of both valves. This component forms a stop face curved about the valve axis with radial spacing. The component may be a spring, like a helical compression spring. The end winding thereof forms the stop. This spring is a valve closing spring and/or a return spring for the piston unit. Each of the two valve bodies is not spring-loaded toward its closed position or opened position. Instead it is freely movable in each position and controlled only by the conditions of flow, gravity and pressure. 
    
    
     BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
     Example embodiments of the invention are explained in more detail in the following and illustrated in the drawings in which: 
     FIG. 1 illustrates the dispenser in accordance with the invention partially in axial section and in the upright normal position, and 
     FIG. 2 is an enlarged section of FIG. 1 slightly modified and shown in the inverse upended positioning as well as in actuated end state. 
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION 
     FIG. 1 illustrates the dispenser  1  upright in the non-actuated initial or rest position. It includes two units  2 ,  3  movable linearly against each other for actuation. On the working stroke the dispenser  1  is shortened and reelongated on the return stroke. The stationary unit  2  includes a casing  4  of a pump, such as a thrust piston pump. The casing  4  is composed maximally of three body parts  5  to  7  each adjoining the next longitudinally. Unit  3  is slidingly mounted on unit  2 . Unit  3  includes a piston unit  8  and a discharge or actuator head (not shown). This head has a handle and a radial medium outlet, like an atomizer nozzle. Unit  2  is to be arranged firmly seated on a reservoir  9  or on the constricted neck of a flask. Casing  4  projects by the majority of its length within reservoir  9 . The medium is sucked from reservoir  9  into body  4  via two separate duct paths. For only one of these duct paths a control unit  10  is provided. Unit  10  forms an inlet valve operating in the upright position pressure controlled. In the 180°-inverted position unit  10  operates gravity controlled to close this duct path. All of the cited components  2  to  10  are located in a common axis  11 , are substantially dimensionally rigid and are passed by the flow mainly in a single flow direction  12  oriented parallel to axis  11  and directed from unit  10  to unit  8 . 
     With its end located outside reservoir  9  median body part  5  connects undetachably to body part  6  by a snap connection. Part  6  is located totally outside reservoir  9 . Part  6  surrounds the associated end of the shell of part  5  at the outer and inner circumference in tight contact. At the upstream end part  6  comprises a flange  14  protruding radially outwards with an annular support face. In a fixing plane  13  this face is sealingly tensioned against the end face of reservoir neck by a screw cap, a scrimp ring or the like. Plane  13  extends at right angles transverse to axis  11 . On the inner circumference of shell  15  of part  5  an elastic piston  16  is slidingly and sealingly guided by lip  17  forming the upstream end of piston  16 . The downstream piston end is a constricted sleeve-type stem. The stem end section remote from lip  17  is fixedly connected to a dimensionally rigid actuator  19  by plug-insertion. In FIGS. 1 and 2 stem  18  and actuator  19  permanently traverse a central passage bounded by the annular casing cover. Stem  18  is located permanently totally within casing  4 . Actuator  19  permanently protrudes out of casing  4 ,  6 . The downstream constricted end of actuator  19  serves to plug on or insert and fixedly hold the actuator head. This heads medium outlet leads away from the dispenser  1  into the open and communicates to the interior of casing  4 . 
     This duct connection exists with a volumetrically variable pressure chamber  20 . Chamber  20  extends from unit  10  up to an outlet valve  22 . Chamber  20  is bounded only by part  5 , lip  17  and a core body  23  of unit  3 . Downstream an outlet duct  21  totally traversing the interior of unit  3  adjoins valve  22 . From the seat of valve  22  up to the downstream end of pin-shaped body  23  duct  21  is bounded by the outer circumference body  23 . Adjoining thereto duct  21  is bounded only by the inner circumference of actuator  19 . In the vicinity of body  23  duct  21  is bounded by the inner circumference of plunger  16 . The inner circumference of piston  16  also forms the movable valve body of valve  22 . The conical valve seat of valve  22  is the outer circumference of a collar of body  23 . Body  23  traverses stem  18  by a slimmer stem and fixedly engages an inner circumference of actuator  19 . Stem  18  forms an elastically compressible or shortenable valve spring of valve  22 . Stem  18  is integral with lip  17 . By shifting unit  3 ,  8  counter to direction  12  pump chamber  20  is constricted whereas being enlarged in the opposite direction. 
     For the annular casing space located outside of chamber  20  or downstream of lip  17  a further valve  24  is provided. When opened valve  24  connects this casing space to the passage in cover  6  and thus to the outer atmosphere. Valve  24  serves to vent the reservoir space of reservoir  9  through the interior of casing  4  and is tightly closed in the rest position. Its valve element is formed by a conical outer circumference of piston  16 . The valve seat is formed by the end of cover  6  protruding into part  5 . On starting actuation of unit  3  counter to direction  12  valve  24  opens. It recloses only when attaining the rest position. 
     Within the reservoir space or reservoir neck shell  15  is traversed by a radial duct or an opening  25 . In the rest position port  25  issues into chamber  20 . On start of the working stroke port  25  is constricted and instantly closed. For this purpose a valve  26 , namely a gate or slide valve, is provided. The valve body thereof is formed by lip  17 . In rest position lip  17  covers only part of port  25 . On a first, extremely small partial stroke lip  17  passes port  25 . Then port  25  issues only into the casing space adjoining upstream to chamber  20 . Thus, with valve  24  open, venting or pressure compensation is permitted exclusively via port  25  both in the normal and in the inverted position. In the inverted or upside-down position port  25  forms the second of the cited duct paths for filling chamber  20  and valve  26  forms the associated inlet valve. Thus chamber  20  is then filled only at the end of the return stroke of unit  3  with unit  10  bypassed. On operation in the normal or upright position, filling chamber  20  occurs exclusively via unit  10  on start of the return stroke and up to opening of valve  26  with port  25  bypassed. 
     The end position of the working stroke or initial position of the return stroke is defined by a stop  27  located within casing  4 . Stop  27  is an annular shoulder of part  5 . The counterstop is lip  17 . If after abutting unit  3  is moved further counter to direction  12  valve  22  opens. Valve body  23  is thereby moved with ram  19  relative to lip  17  and the valve body of piston  16  while stem  18  is shortened. Valve  22  may also be opened prior to this stopping action when exposed to a correspondingly high overpressure in chamber  20 . 
     In the vicinity of inner shoulder  27  the widened length section of shell  15  adjoins counter to direction  12  a slimmer lug  28 . Lug  28  is longer than chamber  20  and located totally within part  7 . Part  7 , like parts  5 ,  6 ,  28  is full-length hollow or a shell body. Part  7  is fixedly plug-mounted on part  5  counter to the insertion direction of cover  6 , namely in direction  12 . Part  7  is located totally upstream of shoulder  27 . Lug  28  bounds in its interior a more constricted section  29  of chamber  20 . Section  29  adjoins shoulder  27  and is slimmer than the running face for lip  17 . Within part  7  and inside lug  28  an abutment  30  is provided for the upstream end of a spring  55 . Spring  55  is located totally within chamber  20 . It is a return spring for unit  3  and for valve body  23 . Support  30  is an annular shoulder of the inner circumference of lug  28 . Face  30  is located in the vicinity of unit  10 . 
     Unit  10  comprises a first valve  31  directly adjoining chamber  20  and a second valve  32  located upstream of valve  31  or further away from chamber  20 . Valve  31  includes as a first valve element a first valve seat  33  and a first valve ball  35 . Valve  32  includes a second valve seat  34  with a second valve ball  36  for mutual contact in the closed position. For contacting ball  35  or  36  in the open position in each case a stop or seat  37  or  38  is provided. In both stop positions and in all intermediate positions balls  35 ,  36  are coaxial with axis  11 . The opposingly and acutely conically widened valve seats  33 ,  34  bound a medium passage  39 . Duct  39  is located in axis  11  and free of any recesses or grooves. Between seats  33 ,  34  duct  39  includes a most narrow length section substantially shorter than its diameter or radius and also shorter than the diameter or radius of balls  35 ,  36 . Both seats  33 ,  34  are integral with shells  15 ,  28  and are located near to each other. Thus when one ball is in contact with its seat the other ball abuts against this ball before reaching its seat. Thus the other ball is able to sealingly close passage  39 . 
     On the side of valve  32  remote from valve  31  a shield  40  is provided for ball  36 . Shield  40  bypasses the medium flow supplied in direction  12  outwardly around ball  36 . Thus in the upright position this flow is prevented from unseating ball  36  off its rest seat  38  and from translating ball  36  to seat  34  or to the closed position. Shell  41  of part  7  closely adjoins the outer circumference of lug  28 . Thereby shells  28 ,  41  are mutually reinforced. At its upstream end shell  41  passes over to an annular end wall  42 . An annular reception  43  for a flexible riser tube  44  connects to wall  42  in and opposite direction  12 . Suction tube  44  is inserted into mount  43  up to shield  40  in direction  12 . Tube  44  extends beyond wall  42  in direction  12 . Tube  44  serves to suck medium from the bottom portion of reservoir  9  remote from the neck when the dispenser  1  is used in the upright position. 
     Shell  43  is slimmer than the inner circumference of shell  41  and forms a tubular lug  45 . Lug  45  freely protrudes in direction  12  beyond wall  42  into shell  41 . Lug  45  bounds with shell  41  an annular space. At the inner end lug  45  passes over to an end or transverse wall  46  of shield  40 . At its two remote faces or as a whole wall  46  in axial cross-section is conically pointed at an obtuse angle. The outer wall side thus forms the conically recessed seat  38 . The inner wall face protrudes as pointed cone opposite direction  12  and forms a guide face  49  for the medium flowing towards unit  10 . Wall  46  has a constant wall thickness all over and is located like support section  45  with no contact within shell  41 . Walls  41 ,  42 ,  43 ,  45  are integral with each other. 
     Both ends of duct  44  possibly also integral with the cited walls, are equally shaped. Each end has an uneven end face  47 ,  48 . As viewed radially face  47 ,  48  is a single obtusely angeled V-shaped recess. The recess flanks extend up to the outer circumference and interconnect therebetween concavely rounded. One end  47  comes into contact with face  49 . Thus its recess extends maximally up to the inner side of wall  42 . The other end  48  is located in the bottom portion of reservoir  9 . A transfer port  50  adjoins the inner side of wall  42  and face  49 . Outlet  50  for the medium passes radially through wall  45 . Port  50  is continuously widened in direction  12  by inclined face  49 . The boundary edge surrounding port  50  may be entirely located in a plane parallel to axis  10 . Thus walls  45 ,  46 , in axial view, have the form of an annular or circle section with an arc angle exceeding 200° or 250°. 
     The sole medium exit  50  is oriented radially or inclined slightly in direction  12  towards the inner circumference of wall  41 . Thus the liquid filling the annular space about lug  45  is deflected at wall  41  in direction  12  and flows along ball  36  in reaching passage  39 . Thereby ball  36  is not unseated from seat  38 . The spherical curved surface of ball  36  is in contact with passage  39  merely by a circle significantly smaller than the ball diameter. The contact circles diameter is only roughly half the ball diameter and coaxial with axis  11 . Thus ball  36  cannot jam in seat  38  in the rest position as could occur in a deeper cup reception. With valves  31 ,  32  open the annular flow cross-sections bounded by body  35  are always significantly smaller than the annular flow cross-sections bounded by body  36 . 
     Relative to casing  4  each ball  35 ,  36  is precisely centered over its full motion path oriented parallel to axis  11  by separate guides. Ball  36  has guide  51 . For this purpose six projections  52  or axial ribs are evenly distributed about the inner circumference of wall  41 . Ribs  52  are integrally adjoining walls  41 ,  42 ,  45 ,  46  and guide ball  36  by their longitudinal edge faces opposing axis  11 . Lugs  52  thus stiffen also walls  41  to  43  and  45 ,  46  relative to each other. Between lugs  52  ducts are free to prevent rotational flows about ball  36 . Thus ball  36  is prevented from being entrained in the flow. Lugs  52  extend substantially up to nearest seat  34 . A corresponding guide for ball  35  extends from the downstrean end of seat  33  up to seat  37 . Here the lugs protrude less. A rib  53  diametrically opposes port  50 . This rib mutually stiffens walls  45 ,  46 , directly connects to face  49  and also prevents rotational or vortex flows. 
     The outer and inner circumference of the upstream end section  54  of lug  28  is constricted counter direction  12  not before the abutment  30 . Thus section  54  is without contact from its free end and in direction  12  beyond seats  30 ,  33 ,  37  relative to the inner circumferences of wall  41  and guide  51 . Counter to direction  12  shell wall  54  including seat  33  become thinner. Then wall  54  becomes slightly thicker and then in the vicinity of seat  34  again thinner. Thus wall  54  reversibly and resiliently deforms in response to the contact pressure of ball  35  or  36 . Wall  54  can therefore sealingly support against bail  35 ,  36  without this being prevented by abutting against part  7 . The median spacing between seats  33 ,  34  facing away from each other is smaller than half or a third of the ball diameter. This diameter is smaller than 5 mm and larger than 2 mm. The spacing between seats  37 ,  38  facing each other is maximally four or three times as large as the ball diameter. Thus very short control pathes of valves  31 ,  32  are given. The control path of ball  35  is, however, significantly smaller than that of ball  36 . The largest center-spacing between balls  35 ,  36  is smaller than three times or twice their diameter. Both balls are equal or equal in size. Thus they are interchangeable. Return spring  55  forms by its end winding seat  37 . With its other downstream end spring  55  supports on  23  permanently axially pretensioned as spring  55  does on face  30 . 
     In upright position flow  12  is directed upwards since reservoir  9  is located below the actuator head. On manual actuation counter to direction  12  valves  26 ,  31  are first closed by the thrust motion or overpressure in chamber  20 . Thereafter the medium in chamber  20  is compressed. Then after opening of valve  22  this medium is discharged via duct  21  into the actuator head and through the nozzle thereof into the environment. During the complete forward stroke atmospheric air can be sucked into reservoir  9  via valve  24  and port  25 . On start of the return stroke valve  22  closes. Thus subsequently chamber  20  is evacuated. Thereby valve  31  opens. Medium is therefore sucked in sequence through tube  44 , port  50 , valve chamber  56 , passage  39  and seat  37  into chamber  20 . The chamber permanently accommodating ball  36  has a larger width than that of the chamber permanently accomodating ball  35 . Thus the different passage cross-sections are achieved. During the complete forward and return stroke ball  36  remains on seat  38 . At the end of the return stroke valve  26  is first opened and directly subsequently valve  24  is closed. A further pumping cycle of this kind can then begin. 
     In the inverted position the actuator head is located below reservoir  9 . Thus ball  36  drops by its weight force from seat  38  into seat  34  and ball  35  drops by its weight force from seat  33  into seat  37 . Valve  32  is then closed and valve  31  opened. On the forward stroke up to the stroke end position (shown in FIG. 2) body  23  protrudes into chamber  29 , valve  31  closes due to the pressure in chamber  20 . Thereby ball  35  unseats ball  36  from its seat  34  and only after reaches seat  33 . The medium is again discharged in the way as described. Thereby and during the complete forward stroke ball  36  rests under its weight force on ball  35  with which it is in point contact. When the return stroke starts from the position shown in FIG. 2, although valve  31  first opens by ball  35  unseating from seat  33 , however, simultaneously and synchroneously ball  36  follows by its weight until engaging seat  34 . Only after this primary motion path ball  35  releases from ball  36  which acts as a driver and travels again a second motion path of at the most the same length as the primary path until becoming seated on seat  37 . When flow direction  12  is oriented downwards unit  10  is thus closed by valve  32 . Thus no medium is able to be sucked into chamber  56  via tube  44 . Instead, chamber  20  is evacuated dry until valve  26  opens and medium is sucked directly through shell  15  into chamber  20  solely via port  25  at a higher flow velocity significantly higher than via the valve unit  10 . Thus after this the next forward or discharge stroke can start. 
     Seats  33 ,  34  can also be mutually opposed. Only a single valve body or ball can be provided between the seats to alternately close only one seat at a time. A further or spherical impinging body could then be provided upstream or downstream of the seats to push the valve ball out of the next or juxtaposed seat. Seat  37  in this case too, would be a valve closing seat. The associated impinging body could be movable in chamber  29  or  56 . When the dispenser  1  is inverted from its position shown in FIG. 2 into the position shown in FIG. 1 balls  35 ,  36  drop back by their weight into seats  33  and  38  respectively. Due to guides  51  valves  31 ,  32  also operate in any inclined position of the dispenser  1  or of axis  11 . 
     The downstream end of part  7  comprises an annular flange thicker than shell  41  and protruding only beyond its outer circumference. This flange contacts an outer shoulder face of part  5 . This shoulder face is formed by the same, annular transition or wall section as face  27 . This section extends transverse to axis  11  and connects shells  15 ,  28 . Also it forms at its outer side circumferentially distributed projections or ribs  57 . Ribs  57  are mutually spaced and bound intermediate grooves. Thus a highly reliable contact of the end face of shell  41  at the edge faces of ribs  57  is assured. Further a tool can be used to engage between ribs  57  to urge part  7  axially away from part  5  counter to direction  12 . 
     For assembly ball  35  may be first inserted into lug  28  counter to direction  12  and without having to overcome a latching or snap point. Thereafter spring  55  and piston unit  8  as well as, thereafter, cover  6  are inserted in the same direction in their positions ready for operation. Before or after these assembly steps ball  36  is inserted counter to direction  12  into part  7 . Thereafter part  7  is slid in direction  12  on and over lug  28 . After insertion of the dispenser  1  assembled as above into reservoir  9  all valves  10 ,  22 ,  24 ,  26  as well as chamber  20  and port  25  are located upstream of plane  13 . An annular passage for venting the reservoir space is then bounded by the reservoir neck and shell  15 . Parts  5  to  7 ,  19 ,  35 ,  36  are dimensionally rigid, except for sleeve  54 . 
     The end section of casing  4  formed in this case by separate cover  6  may also be integral with part  5  which then forms flange  14 . It will be appreciated that all features, properties and effects cited may be precisely or merely substantially or roughly so as explained and may also greatly depart therefrom depending on individual requirements.