Abstract:
An improved container and closure. Some embodiments are directed toward a pressurized container adapted to be utilized in any orientation. In one particular embodiment, a bladder separates a dispensable fluid in the container from a pressurizing fluid. Movement of the bladder via force from the pressuring fluid keeping the dispensable fluid in fluid communication with an outlet of the container regardless of orientation of the container. Some embodiments provide an improved sealing arrangement for a pressurized container and closure, wherein a bladder is utilized as a seal between the container and the closure.

Description:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
     Some mops or similar floor treating implements have used a pressurized container for the delivery of a cleaning solution, floor coating, or other floor treatment for years. For example, U.S. Pat. Nos. 3,457,016 and 2,053,282, and European Patent No. 1,180,343 show such a device. 
     Pressurized containers, such as the one referenced above, generally cannot operate in all orientations. For example, due to the configuration of the container which has a vent located at the top of the container (in a normal orientation) and a valve for dispensing at the bottom of the container (again in a normal orientation), this conventional container cannot dispense in an inverted orientation. Specifically, in the inverted orientation, the fluid to dispense would be located adjacent the vent and the pressurized air (or other pressurizing fluid) would be located adjacent the dispensing valve. Thus, actuation to dispense the dispensable fluid through the valve would only release the pressurized air. 
     Accordingly, there is a need for a pressurized container that can dispense fluid, such as a cleaning solution, in an all orientations. 
     SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
     The present invention relates to the field of pressurized containers for the delivery of a cleaning, coating, or other treating solution. More particularly, the invention has particular utility for use on mops utilizing a pressurized source of solution for mopping operations. 
     Some embodiments of the present invention provide an improved pressurizable container and closure. 
     Other embodiments are directed an improved closure utilizing a bladder as a sealing member. 
     Some embodiments are directed to a sealing arrangement for a pressurized container and closure, wherein a bladder operates as a sealing member between the closure and the container. 
     Some embodiments are directed toward a pressurized container having a bladder separating the dispensable fluid and the pressurization fluid; thus, allowing the pressurized container to dispense in all orientations. 
     Further aspects of the present invention, together with the organization and operation thereof, will become apparent from the following detailed description of the invention when taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings. 
    
    
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
         FIG. 1  is a schematic cross-sectional view of a dispensing assembly embodying aspects of the present invention. 
         FIG. 2  is a top perspective view of a container coupled to a closure embodying aspects of the present invention. 
         FIG. 3  is a bottom perspective view of the container and closure shown in  FIG. 2 . 
         FIG. 4  is a side view of the container and closure shown in  FIG. 2 . 
         FIG. 5  is a cross-section view of the container and closure shown in  FIG. 2 . 
         FIG. 6  is a schematic illustration of the container shown in  FIG. 6 , wherein the bladder is pressurized. 
         FIG. 7  is a perspective illustration of an exemplary bladder. 
     
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION 
     Before any embodiments of the invention are explained in detail, it is to be understood that the invention is not limited in its application to the details of construction and the arrangement of components set forth in the following description or illustrated in the following drawings. The invention is capable of other embodiments and of being practiced or of being carried out in various ways. Also, it is to be understood that the phraseology and terminology used herein is for the purpose of description and should not be regarded as limited. The use of “including,” “comprising,” or “having” and variations thereof herein is meant to encompass the items listed thereafter and equivalents thereof as well as additional items. The terms “mounted,” “connected,” and “coupled” are used broadly and encompass both direct and indirect mounting, connecting and coupling. Further, “connected” and “coupled” are not restricted to physical or mechanical connections or couplings, and can include electrical connections or couplings, whether direct or indirect. Finally, as described in subsequent paragraphs, the specific mechanical configurations illustrated in the drawings are intended to exemplify embodiments of the invention. Accordingly, other alternative mechanical configurations are possible, and fall within the spirit and scope of the present invention. 
     The present invention relates to a pressurized container or dispensing assembly that can be utilized in any orientation to dispense the fluid contents stored within the container. In general, with reference to schematic  FIG. 1 , the container  10  has a first portion  10 A adapted to house a dispensable liquid and a second portion  10 B to house a pressurizing fluid. An elastic bladder  68  is coupled to the container  10  and separates the first portion  10 A from the second portion  10 B. A valve  26  is coupled to the container and in fluid communication with the first portion  10 A. The valve  26  is selectively actuatable to dispense fluid from the press container under pressure. In some embodiments, the valve  26  can also be utilized to refill the first portion  10 A with dispensable fluid. However, in some embodiments, such as the embodiment illustrated  FIGS. 2-6 , a separate closure  12  can be provided for this same purpose. The dispensing assembly also includes a pressurizing source  34  coupled to the container  10  and adapted to provide pressurizing fluid to the second portion  10 B of the container. 
     Below, specific examples of the container, closure, bladder, and pressurizing source are provided. These descriptions are merely exemplary. For example, the container can be configured many different ways. Like the container, the closure utilized, if any, can be configured many different ways. Thus, it is not necessary to use the configuration of the container or closure shown herein. Rather, in some embodiments, a conventional container and/or closure, such as one shown in EP 1,180,343 can also be used. Additionally, the pressurizing source can include many different pressurizing sources. For example, in some embodiments, the pressurizing source is a manual hand pump as illustrated. However, in other embodiments, electrical pumps, compressors, and the like can be used. Additionally, canisters of pre-pressurized gas can also be used as well as chemical reactions to generate pressure. These and other pressuring means can be utilized to provide pressurized fluid, such as a gas, to the closed container. 
     With reference now to the embodiment illustrated in  FIGS. 2-6 , the dispensing assembly of some embodiments includes a container  10 , a closure  12 , a pressurizing means  34 , and a bladder or diaphragm  68 , as best illustrated in  FIG. 5 . As mentioned above and explained in greater detail below, the bladder  68  separates the dispensable fluid from the pressurizing fluid. The pressurizing fluid pushes against one side of the bladder  68 , which in turn applies pressure to the dispensable fluid. The use of the bladder  68  (along with pressure from a pressurizing means) keeps the dispensable fluid in fluid communication with the dispensing valve  26  in the container  10  even when the container is inverted. 
     With reference to  FIGS. 2-4 , the container  10  and closure  12  of this embodiment is adapted to maintain, pressurize, and deliver a pressurized cleaning or treating solution in substantially any orientation. Preferably the closure forms a selectively sealable engagement with the container. 
     As illustrated, the container  10  is a generally cylindrical body having a top  20  and bottom  22  (in the illustrated orientation of  FIG. 4 ). The top  20  is provided with threads  24  to allow the closure  12  to engage the container  10 . The bottom  22  includes a wall or surface having a having a selectively actuated valve  26  to allow a fluid stored within the container  10  to be dispensed from the container  10 . Specifically, in some embodiments, a spigot will enter an opening in the bottom of the bottle  10  to actuate the valve  26 , which may include a spring actuated ball bearing. 
     As best shown in  FIG. 5 , the closure of this embodiment includes a seal  28 , a cap member  30 , a threaded cap retainer or overcap  32 , a pump assembly  34 , and a vent assembly  18 . Specifically, the seal  28  is coupled to the cap member  30  and the cap member  30  is coupled to the threaded cap retainer  32  in such a manner that the cap member  30  is independently rotatable with respect to the retainer  32 . In other words, the cap member  30  can remain stationary (i.e. not rotate) while the retainer  32  is threaded onto the container  10 . As illustrated, the seal  28 , cap member  30 , and the threaded cap retainer  32  operate similar to a mason jar. The vent assembly  18  and the pump assembly  34  are coupled to and supported on the cap member  30 . Additional information regarding the construction of the illustrated closure can be found in PCT Publication No. WO 2008/005841, dated Jan. 10, 2008, which is hereby incorporated by reference. However, before describing the invention further, it should be understood that the seal  28  in some embodiments is not necessary. Rather, the bladder  68  can also serve the same purpose as the seal in some embodiments. As such, the bladder  68  can be a component of the closure  12 . However, in some embodiments, the bladder  68  is not necessarily a component of the closure  12 . 
     As illustrated in  FIG. 5 , a bladder  68  extends across the opening of the container  10  and is held in place by the closure  12 . Specifically, in this embodiment, the closure compresses the bladder  68  against the container  10 . As such, in some embodiments, the bladder  68  can be used as sealing member between the closure and the container. In other words, in some embodiments, the seal used between the closure and the container can be replaced with the bladder. As this illustrated bladder  68  is situated, it separates the pump assembly  34  from the dispensable fluid contained within the container  14 . As the pump assembly  34  is actuated to pressurize the container, gas, such as air, is forced into the volume defined by the bladder and the closure assembly. As more gas is forced into this volume, the bladder expands, to allow the gas to occupy more volume within the container. As the volume of air increases, the bladder continues to expand and apply pressure to the dispensable fluid contained the container. As schematically illustrated in  FIG. 6 , the bladder can deform and fill a substantial volume of the container. In operation, the pressure can be removed by actuating the vent assembly  18  as shown in  FIG. 5 . 
       FIG. 7  illustrates one particular embodiment of a bladder  68 . The bladder  68  is preferably an elastic member that separates the dispensable fluid within the container from the pressurizing fluid within the container. As illustrated, this bladder has a generally cylindrical shape with a flanged top. This configuration is utilized in the illustrated embodiment because of the shape and configuration of the container and pressurizing means. Specifically, the flanged top is generally circular to engage the circumference of the container opening. The center of the bladder has a deep drawn cylindrical shape because of the shape and configuration of the piston pump utilized in the illustrated embodiment. Specifically, the cylindrical portion of the bladder allows the cylindrical body of the piston pump to nest within the bladder. 
     The bladder can be configured and coupled to the container many different ways. Specifically, the shape and configuration of the bladder can be different depending upon the shape and configuration of the container, closure, and/or pressurizing means. For example, in some embodiments, the bladder can be a disc shaped member that rests across the opening of the container. In other embodiments, the bladder is a deformable bag-like member or balloon-like member. As illustrated in  FIGS. 5 and 6 , the bladder can be positioned over the opening of the container and extend into the container. However, in other embodiments, the bladder does not have to be positioned over the opening of the container. For example, the bladder can be recessed into the container and rest upon a shoulder located internally within the container. Alternatively, the bladder does not need to extend across the entire cross-sectional area (e.g., circular cross-section of illustrated embodiment) of the container. Rather, the bladder can include a flexible member, such as a bag or other container, such as a balloon, that extends into the volume of the container  10  as is it being filled with a pressurized fluid. The bladder can be made from many different materials, such as rubber or other elastic materials. 
     Operation of the embodiment illustrated in  FIGS. 2-6  will now be described. The container  10  is filled with a liquid, such as a floor cleaning solution and the closure  12  is applied to the container to seal the container  10  for pressurization via the pump assembly  34 . However, before the closure  12  is coupled to the container  10 , the bladder  68  is inserted into the container  10 . In some embodiments, the bladder is coupled to the closure  12  and inserted with the closure  12 . For example, the bladder can be integral with the closure. Alternatively, the bladder  68  can be applied to the closure  12  prior to the closure being coupled to the container. In other embodiments, the bladder  68  is separately inserted into the container  10  and rests against the opening of the container  10 . 
     The closure  12  is placed in threaded engagement with the container  10  and the overcap  32  is rotated to place the cap  30  and sealing member  28  in sealing engagement with the top of the container  10 . As the overcap or cap retainer  32  is threaded onto the container  10 , the cap  30  generally will not rotate with respect to the overcap  32 . Specifically, once the overcap  32  is threaded far enough onto the container  10 , the sealing member  28  (if utilized), bladder  68 , and cap member  30  will begin to engage the top of the container  10 , and will be compressed into a sealing, fluid tight engagement by the overcap  32 . 
     Once the container  10  is sealed, the container  10  can be pressurized via the pump assembly  34 . A handle on the piston of the pump can be grasped and actuated axially in a reciprocal motion relative to the closure to force air into the second portion of the container (defined by the bladder) via an opening (one-way valve) in the cylinder. As the second portion of the container is pressurized, the bladder can expand a push against the dispensable fluid to pressurize the fluid. In some embodiments, a secondary vent may be desirable to vent any gases contained within the first portion  10 A of the container, such that the bladder  68  can contact the dispensable fluid in all orientations. 
     Once the container  10  is pressurized, the dispensable liquid can be selectively dispensed under pressure from the container via the valve  26  in the container due to the pressure exerted on the fluid via the bladder. In one particular use, the container can be coupled to a mop for dispensing onto a floor. 
     Whether or not the container  10  is empty, the pressure within the container can be relieved via the vent assembly  18 . The vent  18  can be actuated automatically, such as when the pressure within the second portion of the container is too great, or the vent can be actuated manually. For details regarding the actuation of this particular vent assembly, see PCT Publication No. WO 2008/005841, dated Jan. 10, 2008, which is hereby incorporated by reference. 
     The embodiments described above and illustrated in the figures are presented by way of example only and are not intended as a limitation upon the concepts and principles of the present invention. As such, it will be appreciated by one having ordinary skill in the art that various changes in the elements and their configuration and arrangement are possible without departing from the spirit and scope of the present invention. For example, various alternatives to the certain features and elements of the present invention are described with reference to specific embodiments of the present invention. With the exception of features, elements, and manners of operation that are mutually exclusive of or are inconsistent with each embodiment described above, it should be noted that the alternative features, elements, and manners of operation described with reference to one particular embodiment are applicable to the other embodiments. 
     Various features of the invention are set forth in the following claims.