Patent Abstract:
A liquid dispenser includes a container having a valved discharge outlet, the valve being actuable remotely by a screw cap of the container, which carries the valve stem. The valve stem is guided in usage during its linear travel between open and closed modes, the guidance being provided in the region of the discharge outlet by an apertured centre boss of a discharge grid.

Full Description:
FIELD OF THE INVENTION 
       [0001]    The present invention relates to a liquid dispenser and has particular reference to such a dispenser suitable for containing a liquid intended to be poured into a receptacle or reservoir by way of replenishment. The invention has especial, but not exclusive, reference for such a dispenser used for recharging automobile reservoirs with fresh liquids, for example water for the radiator and the engine cooling system, the windshield washer fluid for the appropriate reservoir, and others. 
       BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
       [0002]    One of the problems associated with conventional dispensers is their use in filling other receptacles or reservoirs without spilling the liquids. Difficulty is generally encountered because of the distance needed to be bridged when upturning the dispenser to align its discharge outlet with the relevant charging reception port. Necessarily spillage occurs even when using a funnel or spout, especially in windy weather conditions or the like, the weight of the dispenser being another contributory factor to the problem. 
         [0003]    It is already known to provide a dispenser with a valving arrangement for its discharge outlet whereby the liquid content is discharged only when the valve is opened following alignment of the discharge outlet with the charging port through which the liquid has to pass for use. U.S. Pat. No. 6,702,160 to Griffith is one example of such a dispenser and discloses a container having a valved dispensing port at one end of the dispenser aligned with a cap at the other end of the container carrying a valve stem with a valve head seating in and sealing the dispensing port. Opening of the cap by unscrewing the same occasions movement of the valve stem and unseating of the valve head thereby releasing liquid form the inside of the container through the dispensing port. Screwing down the cap is intended to reseat the valve and seal it to prevent further egress of liquid. One of the perceived disadvantages of this proposal is the lack of certainty associated with the effective reseating of the valve since continuity of linear movement of the valve stem is not guaranteed, thus giving rise to the possibility of a malfunction of the valve accompanied by undesirable leakage through the discharge outlet of the container. 
         [0004]    Accordingly, there is a need for a liquid dispenser possessing improved features affording a greater degree of reliability of operation than has hitherto been possible with known designs. 
       SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
       [0005]    It is therefore a general object of the present invention to provide an improved liquid dispenser. 
         [0006]    An advantage of the present invention is that the liquid dispenser is of simple construction and easy operation. 
         [0007]    Another advantage of the present invention is that the liquid dispenser gives a more controlled discharge facility, and significantly reduces spillage. 
         [0008]    According to a first aspect of the present invention there is provided a liquid dispenser comprising:
       a container defining a liquid holding chamber having two ends, and surrounding walls integral with and interconnecting the said ends;   a port defined at one end of the container and a liquid discharge outlet defined at the other end of the container;   a tapering spout provided externally of the container and extending therefrom to define the discharge outlet, the spout defining a valve seating section therewithin;   a valve stem carrying a valve member for registration within the valve seating section, the valve stem extending from said valve member to the port;   a discharge grid disposed fixedly within the spout between the valve seating section and the discharge outlet, the grid being spaced from the valve seating section and providing a guide for the valve stem;   a cap provided for the port and adapted to locate and carry the valve stem; and   a stop associated with the valve stem to define the extent of movement thereof.       
 
         [0016]    A recharging inlet for fresh liquid may additionally be provided in the same end as the port. 
         [0017]    The cap is preferably of the screw type engaging a thread formed externally of the port. 
         [0018]    The valve member may advantageously be of frusto-conical shape and provided with a seal, for example an O-ring inset in a groove in its tapered sealing face for mating with the valve seating section in the spout. The O-ring is of elastomeric material. 
         [0019]    The discharge grid may be annular with a cruciform spider defining a central aperture guide for the valve stem. Conveniently, the central apertured boss includes an outwardly tapering aperture for insertion of the stop therethrough. 
         [0020]    The stop is provided on the valve stem, conveniently at a location between the discharge grid and the outlet, whereby abutment of the stop with the grid limits linear movement of both the stem and thus the valve member in relation to the valve seating section of the spout. 
         [0021]    Conveniently, the cap, the valve stem, the valve member and the stop are integrally formed out of one piece. 
         [0022]    In one embodiment, the spout further extends downstream of the grid so as to contain the stop therein when the valve member sits onto the valve seating section of the spout. Conveniently, the spout further tapers when extending downstream of the grid so as to reduce spillage when dispensing liquid from the container. 
         [0023]    The dispenser is advantageously produced from plastics material compatible with the liquids it is intended to contain. Conveniently the dispenser is reusable, and could also be recyclable. 
         [0024]    The container may be formed with an integral carrying handle, which may be hollow and communicate with the rest of the container. 
         [0025]    Other objects and advantages of the present invention will become apparent from a careful reading of the detailed description provided herein, with appropriate reference to the accompanying drawings. 
     
    
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
         [0026]    Further aspects and advantages of the present invention will become better understood with reference to the description in association with the following Figures, in which similar references used in different Figures denote similar components, wherein: 
           [0027]      FIG. 1  is a side view of a liquid dispenser in accordance with an embodiment of the present invention partly cut-away to provide a sectional elevation of the inside of the dispenser, the dispenser being depicted in its normally upright storage position; 
           [0028]      FIG. 2  is a side view of the liquid dispenser partly cut-away to provide a sectional elevation of the inside of the dispenser, the dispenser being depicted in an upended operational position in registration with a reservoir for discharge of its liquid contents; and 
           [0029]      FIG. 3  is a sectional view on the line  3 - 3  of  FIG. 2 . 
       
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS 
       [0030]    With reference to the annexed drawings the preferred embodiment of the present invention will be herein described for indicative purpose and by no means as of limitation. 
         [0031]    In  FIGS. 1 and 2  there is shown a liquid dispenser  1  comprising a container  2  typically molded from a plastics material having two ends  4 ,  6  with sides  8 ,  10 . The container is provided with an integral hollow handle  12  in at least one of the side walls  10 . 
         [0032]    A discharge outlet  14  is formed at the narrower end of a spout  16  extending from an opening  18  in end  4  of the container  2 . A temporary foil seal  20  is shown covering the outlet  14  and is intended for removal and disposal upon first usage of the dispenser  1 . The spout  16  defines therewithin a valve seating section  22  and also accommodates in fixed manner a discharge grid  24 , which is annular and has a spider  26  with a central apertured boss  28 . 
         [0033]    A valve member  30  is carried on a valve stem  32  extending essentially the full depth of the container  2 . The valve member  30  is typically of frusto-conical discoid form, similar to a drain plug, and is provided with typically an O-ring insert  31  set in a groove  33  for seating on and sealing with the valve seating section  22 , as can be seen in  FIG. 1 . The valve stem  32  extends through the aperture  27  of the boss  28  of the spider  26  of the grid  24  and carries at its free end a stop  34 , which in this example is conical. It will be readily understood that the stop  34  is of larger diametral extent than the boss aperture  27  and is intended in use to abut the same thereby to limit the movement of the valve stem  32  and thus the valve member  30 . In order to ease the, typically snapping, insertion of the stop  34  through the aperture  27  from the inside of the container  2 , the aperture  27  typically includes a tapered section  27 ′ substantially outwardly tapering. 
         [0034]    Typically, the screw cap  40 , the stem  32 , the valve member  30  (except the sealing insert  31 ) and the stop  34  could be integrally formed out of one molded piece to easy assembly of the dispenser  1 . 
         [0035]    The valve stem  32  extends from the valve member  30  through the void of the container  2  and is carried by and affixed to a screw cap  40  engageable with a correspondingly externally-threaded necked opening  42  formed in end  6  of the container  2 . A gasket  41  is provided in the cap  40  for sealing engagement with the opening  42 . The necked opening  42  is conveniently recessed into the end  6  as at  44 . A similar externally-threaded necked recharging inlet  46  is also formed in the end  6  and is also recessed therein as at  48 , the inlet  46  being provided with a gasketed closure  49  a shown. 
         [0036]    Typically, the opening  42  is large enough to allow the insertion of the valve member  30  there through. 
         [0037]    In the storage position of the liquid dispenser  1  as shown in  FIG. 1  the discharge outlet  14  is presented at the ‘top’ of the container  2 , whilst the screw cap  40  and the inlet  46  are at the base of the container. It will be appreciated that the recessing at  44  and  48  allows the container  2  to assume a stable and upright storage condition on a supporting surface S. 
         [0038]    When it is desired to replenish a reservoir  50 , for example the windshield washer reservoir on a vehicle, the container  2  is inverted as shown in  FIG. 2  such as to allow registration of the spout  16  within an inlet  52  on top of the reservoir  50 . Once the spout  16  is positively located for flow communication in the inlet  52  the screw cap  40  is undone and in so doing the valve stem  32  and thus the valve member  30  ascend within the container  2  and the seal between the member  30  and the valve seating section  22  in the spout  16  is broken thus allowing flow of the liquid  60  from the container  2  via the outlet  14  through the inlet  52  into the reservoir  50 . The elevation of the cap  40  allows ingress of air, as shown by arrows  43 , to assist the flow of the liquid  60  which passes over the grid  24  into the frusto-conical section of the spout  16  giving a smooth and controlled flow, thus preventing or at least reducing spillage that could occur, especially because of the presence of the grid  24 . The stop  34  on the valve stem  32  limits the travel of the valve member  30  and the guiding action of the discharge grid  24  with the stem  32  passing through its aperture  27  seeks to ensure linear movement of the stem. 
         [0039]    Once sufficient replenishment of the reservoir  50  has been accomplished without spillage, the valve member  30  is reseated on the seating section  22  by screwing down the cap  40 . The movement of the valve member  30  towards the seating is constrained in linear manner by the interaction of the valve stem  32  and the aperture  27  in the grid  34  as aforesaid and accordingly there is no tendency for the valve stem to wander. The valve member  30  thus seats positively on the seating to seal the discharge outlet  14  to prevent flow of the liquid and any seepage. The grid  24  is spaced from the seating section  22  as can be seen in  FIG. 1  to ensure that in use the valve member does not inadvertently bottom on the grid thus giving rise to improper and ineffective seating resulting in leakage. Upon effective sealing of the outlet  14 , the dispenser  1  may then be inverted to its original upright position as shown in  FIG. 1 . 
         [0040]    The dispenser  1  may be replenished with fresh liquid through the recharging inlet  46  whilst the container is in the inverted position of  FIG. 2 , the closure  49  being securely tightened before the upright position is reassumed. 
         [0041]    The dispenser of the present invention thus constitutes a useful contribution to the art in terms of providing positive guidance for the valve stem and thus the valve member to secure linear movement and therefore effective sealing to prevent seepage. Generally, the invention offers the user a simple means of refilling a reservoir by allowing accurate positioning of the container over the reservoir filling port, thus preventing wasteful and possibly costly spillage. 
         [0042]    Although the opening port  42  is shown to be generally aligned with the discharge outlet  14 , one skilled in the art would understand that the opening port could be offset (unaligned) relative to the discharge outlet, with a shaped stem extending there between, without departing from the scope of the present invention. 
         [0043]    Although the present invention has been described with a certain degree of particularity, it is to be understood that the disclosure has been made by way of example only and that the present invention is not limited to the features of the embodiments described and illustrated herein, but includes all variations and modifications within the scope and spirit of the invention as hereinafter claimed.

Technology Classification (CPC): 1