Abstract:
This invention provides a pressure sensitive dispenser applicable to acidic and base fluids, penetrating lubricants and cleaning fluids, and capable of applying a metered drop of fluid from an applicator when the applicator is presses against a substrate. The invention includes a reservoir to store fluid, a valve system to meter the amount of fluid flow, an applicator to transfer the fluid by capillary, gravity or surface tension, and a cap to protect the applicator. The reservoir, valve system, and cap may be fabricated of materials that are impermeable to air and lubricating and cleaning fluids.

Description:
CROSS REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATION  
       [0001]     The present invention claims priority to U.S. Provisional Application for patent Ser. No. 60/599,252 filed Aug. 6, 2004 which application is incorporated herein by reference. 
     
    
     BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION  
       [0002]     The present invention is in the field of dispensers for fluid materials such as lubricating and cleaning products, and more particularly to dispensers for products that use mineral oils and or mineral spirits, petroleum based oils, petroleum distillates, hydrocarbon fluid or organic oils, bleach or 2-Butoxyethanol, wherein the dispenser includes a valve and capillary system that meters the amount of fluid the user will apply.  
         [0003]     The present invention relates to lubricating and cleaning products that use aerosol or compressed gas containers to lubricate and clean. The aerosol or compressed gas containers have a spray pattern used to saturate large areas. Such containers are difficult for the user to apply a metered amount of lubricant or cleaning fluid to a small centralized area.  
         [0004]     To use a valve system dispenser with lubricating and cleaning fluids requires the use of specific components and materials to withstand the different pH levels of lubricating and cleaning fluids. The components and materials must be impermeable to outside air and vapor fluid. Current valve system applicators used for writing instruments that contain inks break down, leak and fail when exposed to lubricating fluids such as WD-40 and Liquid Wrench and cleaning fluids such as Spot Shot, Resolve Carpet Cleaner and bleach. In addition, the seals used in the current valve system applicators absorb lubricating and cleaning fluids, causing the seal to swell, breakdown and fail to function. Furthermore, lubricating fluids like WD-40 tend to penetrate into and through materials and between interference and snap fits on components causing the fluid to leak out of the dispenser. The current valve system applicators used for writing instruments such as markers and highlighters release only enough fluid to wet the writing tip when activated. Accordingly, there is a need for an improved valve and capillary dispenser that can withstand a range of pH levels without failing and apply a metered amount of lubricating and or cleaning fluid to a specific area on a substrate without over spray and messy clean up. In addition, lubricating and or cleaning fluids tend to separate and need to be mixed before applying to a substrate.  
       BRIEF SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION  
       [0005]     To solve the above mentioned problems, a pressure sensitive dispenser is provided applicable to acidic and base fluids, penetrating lubricants and cleaning fluids, and capable of applying a metered drop of fluid from an applicator when the applicator is pressed against a substrate. The present invention includes a reservoir to store the lubricating and or cleaning fluid, a valve system to meter the amount of fluid flow, an applicator to transfer the fluid by capillary, gravity or surface tension action to a substrate, and a cap to protect the applicator. The dispenser also includes, an adapter capable of supporting the applicator, a pressure sensitive seal that opens and allows fluid to be in contact with the applicator and closes to prevent excessive flow and leaking, a compression member that applies force to close the seal, and a piston capable of carrying the seal from a closed position to an open position. When the cap is removed from the dispenser, the applicator is exposed and can be placed on a substrate to be lubricated or cleaned. When pressure is applied to the applicator it is forced back into the adapter cavity, and moves the piston axially carrying the seal away from the valve cap and allowing fluid to flow past the seal and through the valve cap and in contact with the applicator. The fluid moves through the applicator by either or a combination of capillary action, gravity flow or surface tension and onto a substrate. As more pressure is applied to the applicator, more fluid flows through the applicator. As pressure is applied and released to the applicator, the piston pushes more fluid out of the applicator. As pressure is applied and released the piston moves back and forth axially and mixes the fluid.  
         [0006]     In addition to the problem with failure of the existing seals used in valve system writing instrument designs and the amount of fluid existing writing instrument designs transfer to the writing tip, current valve system writing instrument designs use permeable materials in fabrication of the seal, valve assembly and fluid reservoir. The permeable materials allow fluid to escape through the walls of the seal, valve assembly and fluid reservoir. Accordingly, there is a need for a valve system dispenser that can seal the system when in the closed position from outside air and the loss of fluid when the dispenser is in the closed position.  
         [0007]     The seal of the present invention may be made from a material that is compatible with lubricating and cleaning fluids. The seal may be made from a material that is durable so that the seal will not wear out after the valve assembly is cycled many times. The applicator of the present invention may be made from a material that is compatible with lubricating and cleaning fluids. The valve assembly and fluid reservoir may be made from a material that is compatible with lubricating and cleaning fluids. The valve assembly and fluid reservoir may be made from a material that reduces permeation of the lubricating and cleaning fluids. The applicator of the present invention may be made from a material that is durable so that the applicator will not wear out after the applicator is cycled many times. The seal may be treated by a secondary process know as fluorination, whereby the seal is introduced to the element fluorine to further reduce or eliminate permeation of the lubricating or cleaning fluid. The saturation ring of the present invention may be made from a material that is compatible with lubricating and cleaning fluids. The saturation ring may be made from a material that allows both air and fluid to pass through it. The cap of the present invention may be designed to have a clip, snap hook, lariat hole, brush or flat scrapper edge to assist the user in portability, removing labels and loosening unwanted materials. The dispenser of the present invention may be fabricated with two independent applicators at either end of the dispenser to allow for multiple variations in applying the lubricating or cleaning fluid. The dispenser of the present invention may be fabricated with two separate reservoirs for storing different types of lubricating and cleaning fluids.  
         [0008]     The design is simple to manufacture and assemble enabling high volume low-cost manufacturing. These are requirements to be a competitive and saleable product in the market. In addition, the design has the enhanced feature and added value, to the end consumer, of being self metering, mess free and relatively inexpensive to manufacture, and thus purchase. 
     
    
     BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS  
       [0009]      FIG. 1  is a cross sectional view of a fluid dispenser in the closed state showing its component parts in operative assembled relationship.  
         [0010]      FIG. 2  is a cross sectional view of a fluid dispenser in the closed state with the cap off.  
         [0011]      FIG. 3  is a cross sectional view of a fluid dispenser in the open state with the cap off.  
         [0012]      FIG. 4  illustrates a dispenser that is disassembled.  
         [0013]      FIG. 5  is a cross sectional view of a fluid dispenser in the closed state with the cap off.  
         [0014]      FIG. 6  is a cross sectional view of a fluid dispenser in the open state with the cap off.  
         [0015]      FIG. 7  is a cross sectional view of a fluid dispenser in the closed state with the cap off.  
         [0016]      FIG. 8  is a cross sectional view of a fluid dispenser in the closed state with the cap off.  
         [0017]      FIG. 9  is a cross sectional view of a fluid dispenser with two separate applicators at either end of the reservoir in the closed state.  
     
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION  
       [0018]     Turning to  FIG. 1 , there is illustrated a dispenser  100  employing an embodiment of the present invention. The dispenser  100  includes a reservoir  101  and a cap  102 . The reservoir  101  is generally in the form of an elongated cylinder having a front opening to support the valve assembly  400  and a hollow body containing the lubricating and or cleaning fluid F. The reservoir  101  of the present invention can also be in the form of an oval, rectangle, or triangle. The cap  102  forms an air tight seal with the adapter  103  to prevent the evaporation of the lubricating fluid from the applicator  104  and saturation ring  105 .  
         [0019]      FIG. 2  illustrates the cross sectional view of the dispenser  100  in the closed position with the cap  102  removed. The dispenser  100  includes a valve enclosure  201  that holds a compression member  202  and guides a piston  203 . The piston  203  carries a seal  204  that substantially seals the valve cap  205  and prevents the release of fluid from within the reservoir  101  when the valve assembly  400  is in the closed position. The piston  203  has a rear portion  212  that is adapted to receive the compression member  202 . The valve enclosure  201  has a hole  210  that guides the elongated rear portion  212  of piston  203  along an axially direction without binding the piston  203  against the inner wall  213  of valve enclosure  201 , and ensures that the seal  204  is seated properly against the valve cap  205  when in the closed position.  
         [0020]      FIG. 3  illustrates the cross sectional view of the dispenser  100  in the open position. By applying pressure to the front end  301  of applicator  104 , the applicator  104  moves axially through saturation ring  105 , moving piston  203  to the rear portion  302  of valve enclosure  201 . The piston  203  carries the seal  204  away from the valve cap  205  and allows air to enter through channel  303  and past the saturation ring  105  and through valve cap channel  304  and past valve cap opening  305  and into valve enclosure  201  and reservoir  101 , allowing fluid from reservoir  101  to move through the valve cap opening  305  and come in contact with applicator  104  and saturation ring  105 . The applicator  104  is adapted to store lubricating and cleaning fluid and convey the fluid to a substrate. The dispenser  100  also includes a saturation ring  105  adapted to store excess fluid that conveys through valve cap opening  305 . The capillary relationship among the saturation ring  105  and applicator  104  causes the lubricating fluid to convey from the saturation ring  105  to the applicator  104 . Applying more pressure to the front end  301  of applicator  104 , moves the piston  203  and seal  204  closer to the rear portion  302  of valve enclosure  201 , and increases the open area around the valve cap opening  305  and piston  203 . The increase in open area around valve cap  305  and piston  203  allows more lubricating fluid to flow to the applicator  104  and saturation ring  105  and onto the substrate. It is required that air from the atmosphere be able to enter into the reservoir  101  in order to maintain a constant rate of fluid flow. If air from the atmosphere is not able to enter into the reservoir  101 , the fluid flow rate would be significantly low. The present invention is unlike some prior art where it has been observed that, under normal operating conditions, air enters through the largest pore in the applicator  104  and or saturation ring  105 . Controlling the largest pore size in applicator  104  and saturation ring  105 , however, may be difficult. That is, with current manufacturing methods, the largest pore size in applicator  104  and saturation ring  105  may vary form one applicator to another and one saturation ring to another, such that one dispenser may provide excess fluid flow while another dispenser may not provide enough fluid flow. As such, each individual dispenser varies in the amount of fluid flow from the dispenser. In contrast with the present invention, the open area in channel  303  and valve cap channel  304  may be more precisely controlled in comparison to the largest pore in the applicator or saturation ring. This way, the open area in channel  303  and valve cap channel  304  may be more accurately controlled so that the performance of the dispenser  100  may be held to a tighter tolerance. In particular, if the largest pore is too large, air will easily flow into the dispenser  100  causing excess fluid to flow out of the reservoir  101 . On the other hand, if the largest pore is too small, airflow into the dispenser will be restricted causing little or no fluid to flow out of reservoir  101 . Thus, the channel  303  and valve cap channel  304  need to be carefully sized to have consistent performance of the fluid dispenser.  
         [0021]      FIG. 4  illustrates the interior components of the dispenser  100 . The dispenser  100  includes a cap  102  adapted to secure around the adapter  103 , and a valve assembly  400  adapted to fit within the reservoir  101 . The valve assembly  400  has a valve enclosure  201  that has a front end  402  and a back end  403 . The valve enclosure  201  is adapted to receive the compression member  202 , piston  203 , seal  204 , and valve cap  205  through the front end  402 . The valve assembly  400  includes a piston  203  coupled to a seal  204 . Compression member  202  urges the seal  204  coupled to the piston  203  in contact with valve cap  205 , to substantially seal valve cap  205  from the outside air and prevent the flow of lubricating fluid from within reservoir  101 , when the valve assembly is in the closed position. The valve assembly  400  is adapted to receive the applicator  104 . The applicator  104  is coupled to piston  203  along a longitudinal axis  401 . The applicator  104  may be removed and replaced with a new applicator  104  from the dispenser  100  when worn or damaged.  
         [0022]     Lubricating and cleaning fluids tend to penetrate and swell plastic components used in the fabrication of valve system dispensers. It is sometimes necessary to design each component to withstand some absorption and swelling for proper fit and function in the assembly and operating of each dispenser. It has been shown in testing that some components will swell from 0 to 20% in size.  
         [0023]      FIG. 5  illustrates the cross sectional view of the dispenser  100  in the closed position. The seal  204  is seated in the rear portion  501  of the valve cap  205 . The present invention is unlike prior art where it has been observed that, under normal operating conditions, residue fluid is trapped in the dispenser between the inner wall  503  of reservoir  101  and the outer wall  502  of valve enclosure  201 . The present invention provides at least one opening  504  to allow fluid to flow directly into the valve enclosure  201  without being trapped within the reservoir  101 .  
         [0024]      FIG. 6  illustrates the cross sectional view of the dispenser  100  in the open position. As pressure is applied to the front end  301  of applicator  104 , the applicator  104  moves axially carrying saturation ring  105  and allowing air to enter through channel  303  and around saturation ring  105  and through valve cap opening  305  and into valve enclosure  201  and reservoir  101 , allowing fluid from reservoir  101  to move through the valve cap opening  305  and come in contact with applicator  104  and saturation ring  105 , while seal  204  remains seated in the rear portion  501  of valve cap  205 .  
         [0025]      FIG. 7  illustrates the cross sectional view of the dispenser  100  in the open position. When the applicator  104  is in contact with a substrate S onto which the fluid is to be dispensed, the force of the attraction of the substrate S and the capillary force of the space between the substrate S and portions of the applicator  104  which are not in direct contact with the substrate S will cause the fluid to flow from the applicator  104  to the substrate S. As fluid is dispensed, air enters the dispenser  100  through channels  303  and through the largest pore size in the saturation ring  105  past valve cap opening  305  and into valve enclosure  201  and reservoir  101 . The air replaces the liquid so as to maintain the under pressure within the container at relatively constant level and provide fluid flow. In addition, for the dispenser  100  to provide fluid flow, fluid from reservoir  101  must enter valve enclosure  201  and must be in direct contact with applicator  104  and or saturation ring  105 . The fluid flow rate can be adjusted by selection of different saturation ring  105  and applicator  104  materials with different porosity density. The saturation ring  105  in addition is able to allow air and fluid to flow through it, and functions as a buffer zone capable of absorbing extra fluid. The applicator  104  may be formed in a shape or with a groove  701  to allow more air to enter into reservoir  101  allowing more fluid to flow to the applicator  104  and saturation ring  105  and onto the substrate S.  
         [0026]      FIG. 8  illustrates the cross sectional view of the dispenser  100  in the closed position. The piston  203  and the applicator  104  may be formed into one unitary piece or two separate pieces. The piston and applicator shown in  FIG. 8  may be fabricated from a dense or high porosity plastic material.  
         [0027]     Referring again to  FIG. 1 , the seal  204  is shown as a flat gasket.  FIG. 1  also demonstrates the saturation ring  105  as independent of the movement of the applicator  104 . The saturation ring  105  can also be eliminated from the dispenser  100  to allow for direct fluid flow through the valve cap  205  to the applicator  104 .  
         [0028]      FIG. 9  illustrates the cross sectional view of a fluid dispenser with two separate applicators at either end of the reservoir in the closed position. This configuration allows for multiple variations in applicator type and fluid flow. That is, with multiple applicators, the user can choose an applicator type and fluid flow amount that best applies to the substrate they are applying fluid to. In addition, the inner wall  902  allows for different types of fluid to be stored in the reservoir  101 . The reservoir  101  can be configured with or without inner wall  902 . One of the applicators in  FIG. 9  illustrates the piston  203  has a seal surface  901 , in the closed position, the compression member  202  urges the piston  203  in contact with valve cap  205 , the seal surface  901  substantially forms a seal with the rear portion  501  of valve cap  205  to substantially seal valve cap  205  from outside air and prevent the flow of fluid from within reservoir  101 .  
         [0029]     Referring again to  FIG. 2 , the seal  204  may be made of a material that is durable and flexible so it will not wear out after many cycles of the applicator  104 . The material should have low permeability to vapor, fluid and air. The type of material used depends on the type of fluid that is used. For water based fluids with a lower evaporation rate than petroleum distillates and hydrocarbon fluid, silicone may be used to form the seal  104 , but natural rubber, synthetic rubber, nitrile, butyl, and fluorocarbon elastomer are also preferred.  
         [0030]     Referring again to  FIG. 4 , the cap  102 , adapter  103 , valve cap  205 , Piston  203 , valve enclosure  201 , and reservoir  101  may be made of a material that is impermeable to outside air and fluid. For Petroleum based oil, hydrocarbon fluid, and petroleum distillates, acetal may be used to form the cap  102 , adapter  103 , valve cap  205 , Piston  203 , valve enclosure  201 , and reservoir  101 , but polypropylene is also preferred. A variety of methods may be used to form the cap  102 , adapter  103 , valve cap  205 , Piston  203 , valve enclosure  201 , and reservoir  101  such as injection molding, blow molding, extrusion molding, compression molding, and other methods known to one skilled in the art. In addition, the reservoir  101  may be formed from polypropylene and covered with a heat transfer film or heat shrink film to further reduce permeation. Furthermore, the cap  102 , adapter  103 , valve cap  205 , Piston  203 , valve enclosure  201 , and reservoir  101  may be formed from polypropylene, acetal, ABS, polystyrene and polyethylene and treated with fluorine to further reduce permeation.  
         [0031]     In lubricating or cleaning of a substrate with the inventive dispenser  100 , the applicator  104  is put in contact with the substrate, such as a hinge that is binding, rusted or otherwise in need of lubricating or cleaning, or a piece of fabric, tile or grout that is soiled or stained. As described above, as the user applies pressure to the applicator  104 , the applicator  104  forces the piston  203  back into the valve enclosure  201  and allows air to enter into the reservoir  101  allowing fluid to flow through the valve cap opening  305  to the applicator  104  and saturation ring  105 . The applicator  104  then becomes saturated with fluid and transfer the fluid to the substrate. As the user applies and releases pressure to the applicator  104 , the piston  203  and seal  204  assist in forcing fluid from the valve enclosure  201  and onto the applicator  104 , while mixing the lubricating fluid. The present invention is unlike some prior art where it has been observed that, under normal operating conditions, ink is transferred from the applicator tip to a writing surface. Re-absorption of the ink with the applicator tip is difficult. That is, with existing valve system applicators used for writing instruments, the ink dries too quickly. In contrast with the present invention, after applying a metered amount of fluid to a substrate, excess fluid can be redistributed to the substrate and reabsorbed into the applicator eliminating clean up mess.  
         [0032]     It is evident from the above description that the pressure sensitive lubrication and cleaning dispenser of the present invention allows the user by means of pressure to control the amount of fluid onto the substrate and concentrate the fluid to a specific area. It is also evident from the above description that the present invention allows the user to increase the amount of fluid flow to the applicator and onto the substrate by applying more pressure to the applicator. It is also evident from the above description that the present invention allows for more precisely control in fluid flow by sizing channel  303  and valve cap channel  304  to allow air to enter into reservoir  101 . It is also evident from the above description that the present invention allows the user to mix the lubricating fluid by applying and releasing pressure to the front end  301  of applicator  104 . It is further evident from the above description that the present invention may be made from a material that is impermeable to outside air and lubricating and cleaning fluids. Therefore, the present invention can effectively improve the disadvantage in wasting lubrication and cleaning fluid, separation of lubrication and cleaning fluid, evaporation of lubricating and cleaning fluids, and eliminating clean up mess by over spray of the conventional inventions.