Abstract:
The present invention minimizes the assembly time of a dispenser head by inserting a rigid seal retaining element. The seal retaining element comes in different configurations thus allowing a variety of compressed gas cartridge dispensing options. Additional features are integrated into a molded dispenser head thus requiring fewer components to accomplish a useable dispenser thus reducing manufacturing costs. Reliance on conformable plastic allows for relaxed dimensional tolerances. This method of making a dispenser head can equally apply to threaded or non-threaded lance housings.

Description:
CROSS REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS 
       [0001]    This application is a Continuation Application claiming priority from a United States Utility Application having Ser. No. 11/195,090 filed Aug. 1, 2005. 
     
    
     FEDERALLY SPONSORED RESEARCH 
       [0002]    Not applicable. 
       REFERENCE TO A MICROFICHE APPENDIX 
       [0003]    Not applicable. 
       FIELD OF INVENTION 
       [0004]    The present invention relates to the field of portable pneumatic dispensers capable of being manufactured at a reduced cost and allowing fast assembly. 
       BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
       [0005]    Many current art compressed gas dispensers, particularly the models manufactured by Genuine Innvations, Inc, in Tucson, Ariz. U.S.A. are manufactured to dispense a non-threaded neck compressed gas cartridge, a threaded neck compressed gas cartridge or capable of dispensing both cartridge species within the same dispense. 
         [0006]    One feature of current art compressed gas dispensers is a lance housing that has been used in part to contain the high pressure from a compressed gas cartridge. Historically, lance housings have been manufactured from metal such as brass. A lance housing also provides an excellent recess or pocket for a seal that is used to contain the compressed gas in a lanced cartridge. A lance housing can feature internal threads that are used to mate with a compressed gas cartridge also exhibiting a threaded portion. A lance housing sometimes exhibits no threads to mate with a compressed gas cartridge. 
         [0007]    U.S. Pat. No. 6,843,388 by Hollars titled Compressed gas cartridge dispensing system allowing interchangeable use of different capacity compressed gas cartridges and novel storage feature teaches some methods of how a non-threaded neck compressed gas cartridge can be dispensed as well as teaches an additional method of how a threaded neck compressed gas cartridge can be dispensed. Additionally, the terminology from the U.S. Pat. No. 6,843,388 is carried over into this application in an effort to maintain consistency for ease of understanding.  FIGS. 1-7  PRIOR-ART are borrowed directly from the U.S. Pat. No. 6,843,388 to exemplify common designs and uses of compressed gas cartridge lance housings. 
         [0008]    Common types of lance housings such as exemplified in  FIG. 1  PRIOR-ART illustrate an internally threaded exemplary lance housing  44  and in  FIG. 2  PRIOR-ART illustrate a non-threaded exemplary lance housing  44 ′. Threaded lance housing  44  illustrated in  FIG. 1  PRIOR-ART will accept a compressed gas cartridge  33  exhibiting a comparable male thread on its cartridge neck used to threadably draw cartridge  33  into the piercing lance. Exemplified in  FIG. 3  PRIOR-ART is male threaded compressed gas cartridge  33  threaded into internally threaded lance housing  44  as part of dispenser head  23 . Slightly visible in  FIG. 3  PRIOR-ART is a piercing lance that has been drawn into the puncture surface of the compressed gas cartridge as a result of the threaded connection thus the compressed gas cartridge has been harnessed or lanced. 
         [0009]    Additionally, threaded lance housing  44  can be used to dispense a non-threaded neck compressed gas cartridge  49  of one volume and  49 ′ of a greater volume with the use of a cartridge-retaining container  22  as illustrated in  FIGS. 4 and 5  PRIOR-ART. Both  FIGS. 4 and 5  PRIOR-ART are borrowed from the U.S. Pat. No. 6,843,388. The compressed gas cartridge neck portion in both  FIGS. 4 and 5  PRIOR-ART are small enough in diameter thus allowing the non-threaded necks to clear threaded lance housing portion  44  without an interference fit. 
         [0010]    Non-threaded lance housing  44 ′ exemplified in  FIG. 2  PRIOR-ART is illustrated with a cartridge-retaining container  22  threadably attached in  FIGS. 6 and 7  PRIOR-ART and will accept a compressed gas cartridge by incorporating cartridge-retaining container  22  to draw the cartridge into the piercing lance.  FIGS. 6 and 7  PRIOR-ART exemplify two different capacity compressed gas cartridges  49  and  49 ′ exhibiting non-threaded necks. A cartridge typically increases in length and diameter as the internal volume increases. 
         [0011]    One United States patent that exemplifies the background relating to the present invention is U.S. Pat. No. 5,544,670 titled Inflation device for an inflatable article of manufacture and adaptor therefore by Philips et al. Applicant is a co-inventor on this patent as well. The technology in this patent has been common since as early as 1993.  FIG. 8  PRIOR-ART is borrowed from the Philips et al. patent and illustrates a side view cross-section exemplary dispensing device. The relevant text in the Philips et al. specification to this figure states the following: “ . . . lance supporting member  44  includes a cylindrical extension  43  which defines an interior area  45 .” This is an excellent example of a prior-art non-threaded lance housing that represents how the industry has designed and manufactured lance housings. 
         [0012]    The lance housing has traditionally provided means for mounting a cartridge piercing lance as well as providing a recess for a compressed gas cartridge face seal, neck seal, or combination of both. A typical compressed gas cartridge piercing lance is made from steel, perhaps hardened, and is press-fit into a void within a lance housing. Current practice utilizes both solid lance designs and hollow lance designs with reliable success. Also common is to insert a brass lance housing into an injection molded dispensing head and retain the lance housing in place with hardware such as a roll pin or utilize one-way barb features on the outside of a lance housing. 
         [0013]    The present invention minimizes the assembly time of a dispenser head. Additional features are integrated into a molded dispenser head thus requiring fewer components to accomplish a useable dispenser thus reducing manufacturing costs. Reliance on conformable plastic allows for relaxed dimensional tolerances. This method of making a dispenser head can equally apply to threaded or non-threaded lance housings. 
         [0014]    Prior-art lance housings are mostly realized as providing a bore that a puncturing lance presses into resulting in a lance is contained in the metal of a lance housing. Additionally, a retaining undercut pocket has traditionally been machined into a lance housing to locate the compressed gas cartridge seal. 
         [0015]    The present invention illustrates an exemplary mounting of a compressed gas cartridge puncturing lance in the main housing of a dispensing head. Additionally, a compressed gas cartridge seal retaining undercut is created by the insertion of a rigid seal retaining element into a molded dispensing head. One obvious advantage to this method of manufacturing a compressed gas cartridge seal pocket by the insertion of a retaining element is that a molder would find molding a feature difficult or impossible. Typically, injection molding retaining undercuts such as described is not a moldable feature. 
         [0016]    The following embodiments will describe the afore-mentioned prior-art and the present invention. Additionally, with the aid of figures, one skilled in the art will be able to understand and appreciate the embodiments to follow. 
       OBJECTS AND ADVANTAGES 
       [0017]    Accordingly, several objects and advantages of the present invention will be presented in the following paragraphs followed by a thorough disclosure of each aspect in the accompanying embodiments in the DETAILED DESCRIPTION. 
         [0018]    In light of the above-mentioned problems, it is therefore an object of the present invention to provide a quick method of manufacturing a compressed gas dispenser therefore reducing material and labor expenses. 
         [0019]    Further, it is another object of the present invention to provide means for additional safety venting without increasing the number of parts. 
         [0020]    It is another object of the present invention to reduce manufacturing tolerances of components without sacrificing quality. 
         [0021]    Another object of the present invention is to make a functional compressed gas dispenser lighter in weight than current designs. 
         [0022]    Another object of the present invention is to provide a lance housing arrangement capable of disassembly for service or component replacement. 
         [0023]    It is another object of the present invention to utilize as little metal as possible in a lance housing and incorporate as many features as possible with an injection molded dispensing head. 
         [0024]    Another object of the present invention is to provide means for mounting a compressed gas cartridge piercing lance into a plastic dispensing head. 
         [0025]    Additionally, another object of the present invention is to provide means for a compressed gas cartridge seal retaining undercut through this new style of lance housing. 
         [0026]    Further objects and advantages will become apparent in the following paragraphs. Solely and in combination, the above objects and advantages will be illustrated in the exemplary figures and accompanying embodiments to follow. 
     
    
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
         [0027]    The figures are exemplary of different embodiments of the present invention. Each illustration conveys the invention and is not to be considered as limiting, rather, exemplary to the scope and spirit of the present invention. Like components in the figures share identical numbering. 
           [0028]      FIG. 1  PRIOR-ART illustrates a side sectional view of an exemplary internally threaded lance housing, intended to illustrate general lance housing construction, borrowed from U.S. Pat. No. 6,843,388; 
           [0029]      FIG. 2  PRIOR-ART illustrates a side sectional view of an exemplary non-threaded lance housing, intended to illustrate general lance housing construction, borrowed from U.S. Pat. No. 6,843,388; 
           [0030]      FIG. 3  PRIOR-ART illustrates a side section view of the exemplary internally threaded lance housing from  FIG. 1  mated with a threaded neck compressed gas cartridge, borrowed from U.S. Pat. No. 6,843,388; 
           [0031]      FIG. 4  PRIOR-ART illustrates a side section view of the exemplary internally threaded lance housing from  FIG. 1  shown lancing a non-threaded compressed gas cartridge with the use of a cartridge-retaining container, borrowed from U.S. Pat. No. 6,843,388; 
           [0032]      FIG. 5  PRIOR-ART illustrates a side section view of the exemplary internally threaded lance housing from  FIG. 1  shown lancing a non-threaded compressed gas cartridge with the use of a cartridge-retaining container, borrowed from U.S. Pat. No. 6,843,388; 
           [0033]      FIG. 6  PRIOR-ART illustrates a side sectional view of the exemplary non-threaded lance housing from  FIG. 2  shown lancing a non-threaded compressed gas cartridge with the use of a cartridge-retaining container, borrowed from U.S. Pat. No. 6,843,388; 
           [0034]      FIG. 7  PRIOR-ART illustrates a side sectional view of the exemplary non-threaded lance housing from  FIG. 2  shown lancing a non-threaded compressed gas cartridge with the use of a cartridge-retaining container, borrowed from U.S. Pat. No. 6,843,388; 
           [0035]      FIG. 8  PRIOR-ART illustrates a side sectional view of an exemplary compressed gas cartridge dispenser detailing a typical lance assembly, borrowed from U.S. Pat. No. 5,544,670; 
           [0036]      FIG. 9  illustrates a side view of an exemplary lance housing assembly in a compressed gas cartridge dispensing head, in accordance with an embodiment of the present invention; 
           [0037]      FIG. 10  illustrates a cross-section view A-A of the exemplary lance housing assembly in a compressed gas cartridge dispensing head from  FIG. 9 , in accordance with an embodiment of the present invention; 
           [0038]      FIG. 11  illustrates an exploded view of the exemplary lance housing assembly in a compressed gas cartridge dispensing head from  FIG. 9 , in accordance with an embodiment of the present invention; 
           [0039]      FIG. 12  illustrates an exploded view of an exemplary compressed gas cartridge dispensing head, in accordance with an embodiment of the present invention; 
           [0040]      FIG. 13  illustrates a side view of the exemplary compressed gas cartridge dispensing head from  FIG. 12 , in accordance with an embodiment of the present invention; 
           [0041]      FIG. 14  illustrates a cross-sectional view A-A of the exemplary compressed gas cartridge dispensing head from  FIG. 13 , in accordance with an embodiment of the present invention; 
           [0042]      FIG. 15  illustrates a cross-sectional view of an exemplary seal retaining element comprising retaining barbs, in accordance with an embodiment of the present invention; 
           [0043]      FIG. 16  illustrates a cross-sectional view of an exemplary seal retaining element comprising external mounting threads, in accordance with an embodiment of the present invention; 
           [0044]      FIG. 17  illustrates a cross-sectional view of an exemplary seal retaining element comprising a groove for retaining a pin(s), in accordance with an embodiment of the present invention; 
           [0045]      FIG. 18  illustrates a cross-sectional view of an exemplary dispensing head comprising the barbed seal retaining element introduced in  FIG. 15 , in accordance with an embodiment of the present invention; 
           [0046]      FIG. 19  illustrates a cross-sectional view of an exemplary dispensing head comprising external mounting threads on the seal retaining element introduced in  FIG. 16 , in accordance with an embodiment of the present invention; 
           [0047]      FIG. 20  illustrates a cross-sectional view of an exemplary dispensing head comprising the grooved seal retaining element for retaining pins introduced in  FIG. 17 , in accordance with an embodiment of the present invention. 
       
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION 
       [0048]    The following paragraphs will detail, at minimum, the best mode of the present invention. The exemplary figures and description of the invention as it is exemplified in each figure is representative of the current invention and the scope of the invention disclosure is not intended to be limited by the exemplary teachings. Like physical structure in different figures share the same identifying numbers. 
         [0049]      FIG. 9  illustrates a side view of an exemplary lance housing assembly in a compressed gas cartridge dispensing head, in accordance with an embodiment of the present invention. An inlet end  900  and an outlet end  901  of a compressed gas cartridge dispensing head  905  are shown. Inlet end  900  is the end of the dispensing head that contains the compressed gas cartridge lancing means. Outlet end  901  is illustrated as truncated downstream from the compressed gas cartridge lancing means. The aforementioned prior-art examples offer some suggestion as to the type of apparatus that outlet end  901  can be fluidly attached to and there are numerous other applications both in the known and new art that outlet end  901  can fluidly attach. Apparatus examples are portable blowers, inflation heads having valve attachments, portable pressure regulators, dump valves such as for fire extinguishing, and other devices. 
         [0050]    An external thread  915  is illustrated on dispensing head  905  and connects with a cartridge-retaining cup that will be illustrated in some following FIGS. 
         [0051]      FIG. 10  shows a cross-sectional view A-A taken from  FIG. 9  and illustrates an exemplary lance housing assembly, in accordance with an embodiment of the present invention. Dispensing head  905  comprises a tapered cartridge lead-in at inlet end  900  that can help guide insertion of a compressed gas cartridge by a user. Within inlet end  900 , a hollow compressed gas cartridge piercing lance  930  hereinafter lance, is press-fit into dispensing head  905 . A ring of lance barbs  935  maintain lance  930  in position in dispensing head  905 . A compressed gas cartridge seal  920  situates substantially about lance  930 . A seal retaining element  910  ( FIGS. 9 and 10 ) is inserted through window  911  and is maintained in place by an interference fit with at least some portion of window  911 . A retaining undercut  925  maintains compressed gas cartridge seal  920  into position thus creating a pocket for seal  920 . 
         [0052]      FIG. 11  illustrates an exploded view of the exemplary lance housing assembly in the compressed gas cartridge dispensing head from  FIG. 9 , in accordance with an embodiment of the present invention. Clearly visible in this view is window  911  for seal retaining element  910 . Window  911  can be on one side of dispensing head  905  or continue through dispensing head  905 . The truncation of outlet end  901  is also more visible in this view. 
         [0053]      FIG. 12  illustrates an exploded view of an exemplary compressed gas cartridge dispensing head, in accordance with an embodiment of the present invention. A dispensing head  1200  features a window  1215  similar to window  911  from  FIGS. 9-11 . Window  1215  is taller in this embodiment to allow a threaded seal retaining element  1220  to have an adequate thread range  1225  for safe connection to a threaded compressed gas cartridge (not shown in this view). The rectangular profile of seal retaining element  1220  prevents rotation upon lancing a compressed gas cartridge. 
         [0054]    Alternate views of  FIG. 12  in  FIGS. 13 and 14  illustrate dispensing head  1200  comprising a tapered cartridge lead-in at inlet end  1201  that can help guide insertion of a compressed gas cartridge by a user. Within inlet end  1201 , a hollow compressed gas cartridge piercing lance  1205  hereinafter lance, is press-fit into dispensing head  1200 . One skilled in the art could readily recognize that a solid compressed gas piercing lance is another minor deviation from the exemplified embodiment. A ring of lance barbs  1210  maintain lance  1205  in position in dispensing head  1200 . Compressed gas cartridge seal  920  situates substantially about lance  1205 . A seal retaining element  1220  is inserted through window  1215  and is maintained in place by an interference fit with at least some portion of window  1215 . A retaining undercut  1221  maintains compressed gas cartridge seal  920  into position thus creating a pocket for seal  920 . 
         [0055]    In accordance with an embodiment of the present invention,  FIG. 15  illustrates a cross-sectional view of an exemplary barbed seal retaining element  1505  comprising a one-way push in retaining feature. A barb or series of barbs  1500  allow the seal retaining element to press into a dispensing head from its inlet end and provide a retaining undercut  1501  for the compressed gas cartridge seal when in the installed position. An internal bore  1502  is illustrated smooth and can additionally be threaded thus allowing a user to lance a larger group of compressed gas cartridges. Additionally exemplified in  FIG. 18  is a dispensing head assembly comprising barbed seal retaining element  1505  installed through an inlet end  1800  of a molded dispensing head. 
         [0056]    Another embodiment in  FIG. 16  includes using external threads on a seal retaining element  1605  as a retaining means in a dispensing head. An external thread  1600  can either cut into or mate with opposite gender threads in a dispensing head. Additionally, a retaining undercut  1601  for the compressed gas cartridge seal is provided when in the installed position. An internal bore  1602  is illustrated smooth and can additionally be threaded thus allowing a user to lance a larger group of compressed gas cartridges. Additionally exemplified in  FIG. 19  is a dispensing head assembly comprising external mounting threads on seal retaining element  1605  installed through an inlet end  1900  of a molded dispensing head. 
         [0057]    An additional embodiment in  FIG. 17  includes using a stake pin retaining slot as a means to retain the seal retaining element into a dispensing head. A stake pin retaining slot  1700  allows a fastener such as a roll pin to be inserted through an opening on a dispensing head and catch with stake pin retaining slot  1700 . Additionally, a retaining undercut  1701  for the compressed gas cartridge seal is provided when in the installed position. An internal bore  1702  is illustrated smooth and can additionally be threaded thus allowing a user to lance a larger group of compressed gas cartridges. Additionally exemplified in  FIG. 20  is a dispensing head assembly comprising grooved retaining seal element  1705  installed through an inlet end  2000  of a molded dispensing head. A roll pin  2001  or comparable staking pin inserts through a hole in dispensing head, and at least partially engages pin retaining slot  1700  thus keeping grooved retaining seal element  1705  situated within dispensing head.