Patent NZ-585195-A (NZ)
Title: A pump and dispenser for dispensing foamed soap liquids
Inventor: LIMBERT DEAN PHILIP
IPC: B67D7/76
Filed: 2008-10-30
Abstract: A pump (14) for dispensing fluid that includes a pump head (30) having a mixing chamber (134) and a porous member (54) is disclosed, wherein the pump head includes a tube (50) and diaphragm (34); the pump includes a cap (22) having a body (42) defining a cavity (101) that receives the tube; the cap is connected to the diaphragm to define an air chamber (106) communicating with the mixing chamber; the pump includes a spring system (46) received in the tube and cavity; the tube, cavity, and spring system define a liquid chamber (122) that communicates with the mixing chamber; the spring system includes a spring (62) positioned to be compressed such that liquid is urged from the liquid chamber (122) to the mixing chamber and the diaphragm is configured to be compressed such that air is drawn from the air chamber to the mixing chamber; the liquid and air commingle into a mixture that is pushed through the porous member to form a product. Particularly disclosed is a pump that mounts to a bottle, makes a foam of the liquid in the bottle and dispenses the foam, the pump comprising: a pump body that forms a liquid pump body that defines a pump body cavity that extends through the liquid pump body to an inlet passage that communicates with an interior of the bottle; an inlet valve mounted to the liquid pump body that opens in response to pressure in the bottle that is greater than pressure in the pump body cavity and that closes to prevent communication between the interior of the bottle and the pump body cavity in response to pressure in the pump body cavity that is greater than pressure in the bottle; a pump head including a nozzle section at an upper end of the pump head and a head tube extending from the nozzle section, the nozzle section defines a mouth, the pump head defines a pump head cavity that extends from the mouth through the head tube, and an outer surface of the head tube is sized and configured to closely fit within the pump body cavity so that the head tube slidingly moves within and along the pump body cavity; a porous member is positioned within the pump head cavity; a spring support sized to at least partially extend into the pump head cavity, the spring support: formed to prevent passage of liquid around the spring support into the pump head tube cavity, and defining a spring support passage that communicates with the pump head cavity and the pump body cavity; an outlet valve mounted to the spring support that opens to permit communication between the pump head cavity and the pump body cavity in response to pressure in the pump body cavity and that closes to prevent communication between the pump head cavity and the pump body cavity when not opened by pressure in the pump body cavity; a pump spring positioned at least partially within the pump body cavity that urges the pump head tube and spring support away from the inlet passage; a flexible diaphragm secured to the pump head at a location separated from the pump body, extending around the pump head and extending from the location at which it is secured to the pump head to the pump body, the diaphragm, the pump body and the pump head defining an air chamber and movement of the pump head tube toward the inlet passage deforms the diaphragm and thereby reduces the volume of the air chamber; and the pump head defining one or more air passageways that communicate with the air chamber and the pump head cavity located between the outlet valve seat and the porous member.