Patent Publication Number: US-6341717-B2

Title: Metering pump dispenser with at least two metering pumps

Description:
FIELD OF THE INVENTION 
     The present invention pertains to a metering pump dispenser for the simultaneous, metered dispensing of liquid and/or pasty media from at least two separate storage chambers, which are arranged in a common pump housing and with which separate metering pumps with a priming valve and a dispensing valve each are associated, wherein the metering pumps can be actuated by means of a common actuating member, which is mounted axially movably in the head part of the pump container and has one or more dispensing channels. 
     BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
     In prior-art metering pump dispensers (U.S. Pat. No. 4,773,562) with separate containers for different media, which containers are arranged next to one another with parallel axes, or with coaxially arranged containers for different media (U.S. Pat. No. 4,949,874), in which a separate metering pump is associated with each container, the metering pumps are actuated jointly by an actuating member, which is or can be attached at the top and performs axial movements, during which restoring spring forces are overcome. The actuating members are guided axially, so that the resisting force which counteracts the actuation of the actuating member by the restoring forces and the viscosity of the media to be dispensed, must be applied at a ratio of 1:1. 
     The actuating forces to be applied may be considerable especially in the case of pasty media which are dispensed in predetermined amounts upon each stroke of the actuating member. It may happen that the actuating member cannot be actuated by one hand, which may not only make it difficult to use such metering pump dispensers with at least two metering pumps and two storage containers but also questionable on the whole. 
     A metering pump dispenser for the simultaneous, metered dispensing of liquid and/or pasty media from at least two separate storage chambers has also been known (DE 41 20 644 C1), in which the actuating member is mounted in a lever-like manner pivotably in one direction around a pivot bearing in a head part of the pump housing, which said head part axially projects over the storage chamber, to perform limited pump strokes. The metering pumps each have bellows as a pumping member, which is connected to a pump housing on the housing side and to the common actuating member on the dispensing side. 
     Each metering pump is provided here with a priming valve and a dispensing valve, via which the storage chambers are in connection with one or more dispensing channels. The dispensing channels are arranged in this metering pump dispenser directly in the actuating member such that they end in a common plane of a dispensing nozzle. The pivot axis of the pivot bearing is arranged at right angles to a common symmetry plane of the metering pumps such that the metering pumps are located at different distances from the pivot axis and have different effective lever arms relative to the pivot axis and perform different pump strokes, which are at a fixed, preselectable ratio to one another, simultaneously and in the same direction during the actuation of the actuating member. 
     While the two metering pumps are actuated uniformly during each pump stroke in the case of the metering dispenser of this class, the pump strokes of the two metering pumps are fundamentally different in this prior-art metering pump dispenser because the actuating member is designed and mounted as a one-armed lever. 
     SUMMARY AND OBJECTS OF THE INVENTION 
     The primary object of the present invention is to provide a metering dispenser of the type mentioned in the introduction, whose actuating member can be actuated manually by applying a weaker force. 
     This object is accomplished according to the present invention by a pivoted lever, which is pivotable around a pivot axis extending at right angles to the housing axis, acts axially with a short lever arm on the actuating member at least approximately in the central plane located between the metering pumps and can be actuated manually by means of a longer lever arm, being mounted in a head part section of the pump housing, which said head part section is extended beyond the actuating member. 
     By using an additional pivoted lever, via which the axially movable actuating member, which uniformly actuates both metering pumps, is moved, the force to be applied for the actuation is considerably reduced as a consequence of the different lever arms that now become effective. This reduction makes it possible to perform the actuation of the actuating member by means of the pivoted lever relatively easily with one finger of the hand, which holds the pump housing and the entire metering dispenser during its use. 
     Due to the arrangement provided, it is readily possible to obtain a lever arm ratio of 2:1, which means that the force that must be applied to actuate the actuating member via the pivoted lever is half the force acting directly on the actuating member. 
     Thus, the user of such a metering dispenser has the feeling that he is actuating only one metering pump. 
     This favorable lever arm ratio is facilitated by the elliptical cross-sectional shape of the pump housing and the arrangement of the pivoted lever in the longitudinal axis of the elliptical shape. 
     A possible design feature with the separate housing part adapted to the cross-sectional shape of the said pump housing, which separate housing part can be lockingly attached to the upper end section of the said pump housing and has an opening for movably accommodating the said dispensing channel or dispensing channels of the actuating member, may be provided to make it possible to manufacture and especially mount the head part section in a simple manner. 
     The possible embodiment of the present invention, in which the housing part has two mounting supports with coaxial sockets in one half of the housing under a closed front wall section in a symmetrical arrangement in relation to an axial central plane of the housing and a said button opening, which is located in the plane of the front wall section and is extended in a recess of the axial wall is provided in the other half of the housing, leads not only to a favorable arrangement and mounting of the pivoted lever, but also to the advantage that the opening necessary for the actuation of the pivoted lever in the housing part can be closed in the inoperative position of the pivoted lever. The provision of a transverse wall and an additional side wall also serve this purpose. 
     The possible embodiments in which the housing part has two guide walls, which are arranged symmetrically to the axial central plane of the housing and extend in parallel to the plane, as a lateral limitation of the front-side button opening and for laterally guiding the said pivoted lever and an arched wall apron extends at least over the range of movement of a said button surface of the pivoted lever, guarantee that the opening of the housing part forming the head part section, in which the pivoted lever is accommodated, also remains largely closed during the actuation of the pivoted lever. This is also important because as a result, the actuating finger or fingers of the user cannot come into contact with any edges of the housing, which could cause jamming or even cutting, during the actuation of the pivoted lever. 
     A functionally favorable, low-friction transmission of forces between the pivoted lever and the actuating member, on the front surface of which the pivoted lever acts via the cam-like, arc-shaped projections provided may also be provided. 
     The various features of novelty which characterize the invention are pointed out with particularity in the claims annexed to and forming a part of this disclosure. For a better understanding of the invention, its operating advantages and specific objects attained by its uses, reference is made to the accompanying drawings and descriptive matter in which a preferred embodiment of the invention is illustrated. 
    
    
     BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
     In the drawings: 
     FIG. 1 is a somewhat simplified sectional view of a metering dispenser with two separate storage chambers and two metering pumps; 
     FIG. 2 is a front view in the direction II from FIG. 1; 
     FIG. 3 is a sectional view of the head part of the metering dispenser shown in FIG. 1 in the inoperative position of the actuating member; 
     FIG. 3 a  is an enlarged detail sectional view IIIa from FIG. 3; 
     FIG. 4 is a sectional view, as in FIG. 3, of the head part of the metering pump dispenser, in which the pivoted lever assumes the position corresponding to the end of a pump stroke just performed; 
     FIG. 5 is a side view of the actuating member as an individual part; 
     FIG. 6 is a bottom view of the actuating member in direction VI from FIG. 5; 
     FIG. 7 is the side view of the actuating member in direction VII from FIG. 5; 
     FIG. 8 is a top view of the actuating member in direction VIII from FIG. 5; 
     FIG. 9 is a section along the section line IX—IX from FIG. 8; 
     FIG. 10 is a top view of the head part section as an individual part; 
     FIG. 11 is a section XI—XI from FIG. 10; 
     FIG. 12 is the bottom view in direction XII from FIG. 11; 
     FIG. 13 is the side view in direction XIII from FIG. 11; 
     FIG. 14 is the side view in direction XIV from FIG. 11; 
     FIG. 15 is the top view of the pivoted lever as an individual part; 
     FIG. 16 is a section XVI—XVI from FIG. 15; and 
     FIG. 17 is a side view XVII from FIG.  15 . 
    
    
     DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT 
     Referring to the drawings in particular, the metering pump dispenser shown as a whole in FIG. 1 for the simultaneous, metered dispensing of liquid, but especially pasty media has two separate storage chambers  1  and  2 , which are arranged in parallel next to one another in a common housing lower part  3  and are provided with a follower piston  4  each. 
     A separate metering pump  5  and  6 , respectively, is associated with each of these storage chambers  1  and  2 , attached at the top. These two metering pumps  5  and  6  are provided with a common actuating member  7 , which is shown as a one-piece plastic part in FIGS. 5 through 9. 
     This actuating member  7  is inserted on the top side into a pumping stroke housing  8  by means of locking connections in a positive-locking manner, and it is guided axially movably together with the said pumping stroke housing in a pump housing  9 . The two metering pumps have a priming valve  10  as well as a dispensing valve  11  each and also a bellows  12  each as a pumping member, the said bellows  12  being connected to the pump housing  9  on the priming side and to the common actuating member  7  on the dispensing side. 
     The uniformly metered dispensing of the preferably pasty media being stored in the two storage chambers  1  and  2  is achieved by the actuating member  7  performing a pumping stroke together with the pumping stroke housing  8  in the pump housing  9 , during which it is axially displaced from the position shown in FIG.  1  and FIG. 3 into the downwardly displaced position shown in FIG.  4 . The two bellows  12  are axially shortened during the performance of this pumping stroke, as a result of which their capacity is greatly reduced and the medium located in them is pressed through the dispensing valves  11  into the dispensing channels  15  and  16  of the actuating member  7 . 
     The actuating member  7  shown as an individual part in FIGS. 5 through 9 comprises a ring wall  13 , which is adapted to the elliptical cross-sectional shape of the pumping stroke housing  8  and is provided with a closed front wall  14 . 
     In the plane of the front wall  14 , the actuating member  7  has two dispensing channels  15  and  16 , which are separated by an axially extending partition  18  and end in a common, axially parallel dispensing plane  17  of a tubular section  16 ′. The dispensing channel  15  is in connection with the metering pump  6 . The discharge channel  16  is in connection with the metering pump  5 . The connection openings  20  and  21  are inside axially extending cylindrical ring walls  22  and  23 , respectively, which, starting from the front wall  14 , are directed toward the metering pumps  5  and  6  and in which the dispensing valves  11  are accommodated (see FIGS. 1,  3  and  4 ). 
     As is apparent from FIGS. 6 and 8, the two dispensing channels  15  and  16  extend in parallel to the longitudinal axis  25  of the elliptical cross-sectional shape of the actuating member  7  and thus also at right angles to the housing axis  26  of the pump housing  3 . 
     As is apparent from FIG. 1, the two dispensing channels  15  and  16  end in the axially parallel end plane  17  of the tubular section  16 ′, which is located radially outside the housing circumference. 
     As was mentioned above, the actuating member  7  is firmly connected to the pumping stroke housing  8  by locking connections  24  engaging one another in a positive-locking manner and an outer ring collar  27 . 
     To actuate the actuating member  7  and to actuate the two metering pumps  5  and  6  by means of the actuating member  7 , a pivoted lever  40  is mounted in a head part section  30  of the pump housing  9 , which head part section is extended beyond the actuating member  7 . This pivoted lever  40  is mounted pivotably around a pivot axis  31  extending at right angles to the housing axis  26  and is also designed such that it axially acts on the actuating member  7  with a short lever arm  41  at least approximately in the central plane  32  located between the two metering pumps  5  and  6 , which said central plane coincides with the housing axis  26 , and it can be actuated by means of a longer lever arm  42  manually, preferably with a finger of the hand holding the metering pump dispenser. 
     The head part section  30  is designed as a one-piece, separate housing part  33  adapted to the elliptical cross-sectional shape of the pump housing  3 . It is attached lockingly in a positive-locking manner to the lower section of the pump housing  9 , which is firmly connected to the housing lower part  3 . It consists of a plastic and has an axial wall  34 , whose cross-sectional shape is adapted to the elliptical cross-sectional shape of the pump housing  9  and is provided with a closed front wall section  35 . 
     Two mounting supports  36  and  37 , which are arranged in one piece on the inside of the front wall section  35  and are connected to same in one piece, are arranged in one half of the housing under the closed front wall section  35  in symmetrical arrangement in relation to the axial central plane  28  located in the longitudinal axis  25  of the elliptical cross section. These two mounting supports  36  and  37  protrude, with axes parallel to the housing axis  26 , into the interior space of the housing part  33  and are provided with mutually coaxial sockets  38  at their lower ends and, as is apparent from FIGS. 10 and 12, are also connected in one piece to the axial wall  34  on the inside. 
     The two sockets  38  have a common axis, which is the pivot axis  31  of the pivoted levers  40  and extends horizontally and consequently at right angles to the housing axis  26  in the vertical position of the housing axis  26 . 
     An elongated hole-like opening  46 , through which the common tubular section  16 ′ of the two dispensing channels  15  and  16  projects axially movably to the outside axially in parallel to the central plane  28  of the housing, is located in the axial wall section  34 ′ located between the two mounting supports  36  and  37 . In the other half of the housing, the housing part  33  is provided with a button opening  47 , which is located n the plane of the front wall section  35  and is extended in a rounded opening  48  of the axial wall  34 . Two guide walls  49  and  50 , which are arranged symmetrically to the axial central plane  28  of the housing and extend in parallel to same, are provided as the lateral limitation of the front-side button opening  47  and at the same time for the lateral guiding of the pivoted lever  40 . A likewise arched wall apron  51 , which extends in the axial direction at least over the range of movement of the pivoted lever  40  provided with a button surface  55  and otherwise has the shape of an arch section concentrical to the pivot axis  31 , is provided between the said guide walls  49  and  50  along the bent edge of the front wall section  35 , which edge limits the button opening  47 . 
     The pivoted lever  40  shown as an individual part in FIGS. 15 through 17 consists of a plastic. It has mutually parallel wall elements  52  and  53 , which are provided with a mounting pin  54  each on the sides facing one another. The distance between these two wall elements  52  and  53  is adjusted to the distance between the two mounting supports  36 / 37 . The two mounting pins  54  are arranged coaxially to one another and are otherwise designed such that they can be lockingly inserted into the sockets  38  of the mounting supports  36  and  37 , which sockets are open on the underside. 
     In the mounted state, the two wall elements  52  and  53  extend in a symmetrical position in parallel to the housing axis  26 , and the common axis  54 ′ of their sockets  54  coincides with the pivot axis  31 . The two wall elements  52  and  53  are connected to one another in one piece by a transverse wall  56 , whose top side or upper outer side forms the button surface  55 . This upper transverse wall  56  is joined, in one piece and by means of a rounded transition edge  57 ′, by a side wall  57 , which extends over the axial opening  48  of the housing part  33  and of the head part section  30 . A button recess  58  is arranged in the edge area, in which the transverse wall  56  passes over into the side wall  57 . 
     The limiting edge  59  of the transverse wall  56 , which limiting edge faces the two sockets  54 , is adapted to the arc shape of the wall apron  51  of the housing part  33  such that in the mounted position, the pivoted lever  40  can perform the pivoting movement shown in FIGS. 3 and 4 around the pivot axis  31 , but there is only a narrow gap between the wall apron  51  and the transverse wall  56 . 
     FIGS. 3 and 4 show the two functional end positions of the pivoted lever  40 , in which both the button opening  47  and the recess  48  are closed by the lateral guide walls  49  and  50  as well as by the transverse wall  56  and the side wall  57  of the pivoted lever  40 , so that no foreign bodies, at least no larger foreign bodies can reach the interior of the housing part  33 . 
     The two wall elements  52  and  53  are provided on their undersides with a cam-like, arc-shaped projection  60 , by means of which they lie on the top side of the actuating member  7  on both sides of the dispensing channels  15  and  16  of the actuating member  7 , the said top side being provided with two wedge-shaped humps  43  and  44  for this purpose. 
     As an originality protection means, the axial wall  34  of the housing part  33  has, on the inside and at the deepest point of the recess  48 , an inwardly projecting break-off tab  61 , which is broken off from the lower edge  62  of the side wall  57  of the pivoted lever during the first actuation of the pivoted lever (see FIG. 3 a ). It is recognized from this whether the metering dispenser has already been used or is still new. 
     While specific embodiments of the invention have been shown and described in detail to illustrate the application of the principles of the invention, it will be understood that the invention may be embodied otherwise without departing from such principles.