Abstract:
A dispenser that represents the next generation of manually activated fluid dispensers found in homes at kitchen and bathroom counter tops that dispense soap, creams, and lotions. Shown in FIG.  1,  the invention uses a diaphragm  105  positioned at the bottle bottom  109  of a bottle  101  filled with fluid (not shown) that is manually activated to push fluid through a tube  107,  spout  111,  and check nozzle  112  for the following advantages: much less expensive with fewer simpler parts, no drying of fluid in the spout  111,  no dripping, and is capable of dispensing the last ounce of fluid left in the bottle. The diaphragm  105  has a unique feature that allows fluid to be pushed through the tube/spout/nozzle ( 107/111/112 ) and refill with fluid as the diaphragm is compressed and released respectively. This dispenser is activated by pushing down on a thumb saddle  113  attached to the spout  111  and tube  107.  Detail A shows how the diaphragm is pinned  118  to the bottle bottom  109  that greatly relaxes the tolerances of the dispenser parts. Detail B shows a locking mechanism using features  121  and  122  for travel that is incorporated into the dispenser without any additional parts. This pump system in this dispenser is called the Blister Pump  104.

Description:
CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS  
       [0001]     This application claims the benefit of provisional patent application Ser. No. 60/723,342 filed Oct. 4, 2005 by the present inventors. 
     
    
     BACKGROUND OF INVENTION  
       [0002]     1. Field of Invention  
         [0003]     This invention is related to the countertop small manually operated fluid dispensers used for hand creams, lotions, soaps, etc. commonly found in household kitchens, bathrooms, and laundry rooms.  
       FEDERALLY SPONSERED RESEARCH  
       [0004]     Not Applicable.  
       SEQUENCE LISTING OR PROGRAM  
       [0005]     Not Applicable.  
         [0006]     2. Prior Art  
         [0007]     Most dispensers are of the type where a spout, mounted on the lid of a bottle containing fluid, is depressed by the thumb and a relatively small quantity of fluid from the bottle is dispensed through the spout into the fingers of the same hand; that is, a one handed manual dispenser. Fluids include soap, hand cream, and skin lotion. Some of these devices are used to dispense food condiments such as mustard, ketchup, mayonnaise, etc. In this case, the fluid is commonly dispensed directly onto food, onto a plate of food, or on a side dish. These dispensers have been very popular because they are less messy and more sanitary than removing fluid by squeezing a tube, by dipping an opened jar with serving utensils or with fingers (cold cream for example).  
         [0008]     Typical examples of today&#39;s dispensers are found in U.S. Pat. No. 6,488,185 to Beranger et al, and U.S. Pat. No. 6,929,156 to Petit et al. This is based on our inspection of dozens of popular dispensers sold today. These modern dispensers are very complex requiring 12 to 15 precision parts for a pump using a piston/cylinder system, at least two check valves, and a means of venting the bottle to prevent a vacuum from forming in the bottle as the volume of fluid is removed. These pumps are becoming prohibitively expensive and these dispensers can add up to 30% to the price of the fluid. Many fluids are now offered in either a pump dispenser (for a few dollars more) or a cheaper squeeze tube.  
         [0009]     Because these pumps and valves are placed just under the lid of the fluid container, the output check valve is far from the end of the spout and fluid is always left in the spout to dry out, or to become contaminated with germs in the case of multiple users. The fluid will also run out of the spout if the bottle is tipped. In addition, this pump must suck fluid through a tube that has its open end near the bottom of the bottle. This leaves the user having to throw out (or bottom fish for) the last ounce of fluid. In other words, the suction is lost when the pump starts to suck air when the bottle is not completely empty.  
         [0010]     The U.S. Pt. No. 2,702,147 to Brown (1955) and U.S. Pat. No. 3,409,184 to Stengle (1968) use a different type of pump than the piston/cylinder pump. The pumps of both patents use a collapsible volume at the bottom of the fluid bottle that pushes rather than sucks the fluid through to the top spout. Unfortunately Brown&#39;s dispenser, which is fully integrated into the fluid bottle, is as complex as today&#39;s dispensers. This integration would clearly limit the bottle style. Precision parts are still required for sealing the collapsible volume into the bottom of the bottle, and two check valves are required. The spout and tube are left filled with fluid that can dry and clog the spout. The fluid will also spill out if the bottle is tipped. The long thin channel required to input fluid to the pump would delay the reset of the diaphragm as it expands back into position and would be problematic for more viscous fluids like lotions or creams. This wait time would frustrate the user. The flexing of the hemispherical thick-walled diaphragm is rather extreme, which we believe would prematurely tear or rupture. The design of the diaphragm is critical (especially if the properties change with time), because if it does not reset, the pump will fail. In all, this dispenser offers no advantage over current dispensers.  
         [0011]     Stengle&#39;s device has the simplicity we are looking for, but unfortunately it does not have the quality of today&#39;s dispenser. He uses a bellows for the collapsible volume with holes at the bottom pleat to introduce the fluid into the bellows. The holes are closed against the bottom of the bottle when the bellows begins to expand (reset) and wide open when the bellows starts to compress (when the spout is pushed down). This is 180 degrees out of phase for an efficient pump. Most of the fluid will move out of the holes rather than up the connecting tube/spout when the bellows is compressed, and the fluid cannot easily move into the bellows until the bellows expands. The long wait time for the bellows to reset would be similar to Brown&#39;s patent (U.S. Pat. No. 2,702,147). The volume of fluid dispensed (if any) would depend on how fast the user compresses the bellows. Because the fluid in the connecting tube and spout drains back into the bellows between dispensing, drying in the spout is not an issue unless the fluid is viscous. But the user must re-fill the tube and spout volumes with each compression of the bellow before fluid exits the spout, which results in a significant delay before the fluid is dispensed. This also means the volume dispensed would depend on the height of the fluid level in the fluid bottle. Venting of the bottle is done through the spout which will partially fill the bellows with air, thus making the pump even less efficient. Fluid will also run out if the bottle is tipped. In addition, from our experience, without the diaphragm/bellows being pinned to the bottom of the bottle, the bellows will slide around and tip the spout in different directions. In all, this dispenser would be considered to be of poor quality by the user.  
       BACKGROUND OF INVENTION—OBJECTS AND ADVANTAGES  
       [0012]     Accordingly, several objects and advantages of our dispenser are as follows: 
        a) A manual dispenser that is of high quality. That is, the device dispenses a constant volume, works efficiently, is properly vented, and is of sturdy construction.     b) A dispenser that is inexpensive with fewer and simpler parts with relaxed tolerances and substantially less fabrication time.     c) A fluid dispenser where the fluid does not dry in the spout or become contaminated by air born germs (especially important with multiple users and when dispensing food).     d) A dispenser that will not spill fluid when the bottle is tipped, preventing a mess and waste.     e) A dispenser that dispenses nearly all the fluid in the bottle for reduced waste.        
 
         [0018]     Other objects and advantages are that the fluid will not drip from the spout, and the dispenser can be easily locked for travel to prevent the possibility of leaking. Still further objects and advantages will become apparent with the ensuing description and drawings.  
       SUMMARY  
       [0019]     In accordance with the present invention a fluid dispenser uses a diaphragm pinned to the bottom of a bottle of fluid. When the diaphragm is manually compressed, fluid in the diaphragm is forced through a tube, spout, and a unique check nozzle with the spout and check nozzle above the top of the bottle. The diaphragm is compressed by manually pressing down on the tube/spout assembly or on a separate rod at the top of the bottle. When the force of compression is removed, a unique release mechanism allows fluid to quickly refill the diaphragm which resets the dispenser for the next dispensing cycle. This new pump idea is so unique it requires a new name—the “blister pump.” 
     
    
     DRAWINGS—FIGURES  
       [0020]      FIG. 1  shows various aspects of a preferred embodiment.  
         [0021]      FIG. 2  shows various aspects of an alternate preferred embodiment.  
         [0022]      FIGS. 3A  to  3 D show views of diaphragm options with different release mechanisms.  
         [0023]      FIGS. 4A  to  4 C show views of various pin options.  
         [0024]      FIGS. 5A  to  5 F show views of various check nozzle options.  
                                         DRAWINGS - Reference Numerals Associated with the Figures                                      FIG. 1             101 bottle           102 lid           103 funnel bottom           104 blister pump           105 diaphragm           106 top opening           107 tube           108 bottom opening           109 bottle bottom           110 seal           111 spout           112 check nozzle           113 thumb saddle           114 bumps           115 skirt           116 flange           117 gasket seal           118 pin           119 legs           120 hole           121 lid tabs           122 skirt tabs           123 shoulder           124 boss             FIG. 2             200 blister Pump           201 rod           202 alternate bottle lid           207 flexible tube           208 alternate spout           209 rod groove           210 alternate lid hole           211 gasket/seal           212 alternate thumb saddle           214 compression spring           215 lock fingers           216 rod tee             FIG. 3             310 seal           311 rough edge           312 heels           313 diaphragm toe           314 slits           316 double-cup           317 sewed edge             FIG. 4             403 cylinder           404 slots           405 post           406 star cross-section             FIG. 5             503 shuttle           504 shuttle hole           505 cylindrical spring           506 spout slot           507 spring fingers           508 stop           510 leaf spring           511 groove           512 through hole           513 housing           514 key way           515 wide end           516 narrow end           517 balloon           518 rolled edge           519 balloon hole           521 inner spring fingers           522 thickened edge           523 channel           524 spout groove                        
     
    
     DRAWINGS—REFERENCE NUMERALS CONTINUED  
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION  
       [0025]     A preferred embodiment of the dispenser is illustrated in  FIG. 1 . First we have a bottle  101  filled with fluid (fluid not shown) that has a lid  102  and a funnel bottom feature  103  that directs fluid toward the blister pump  104 . The lid  102  with a hole  120  is fastened to the bottle  101  using typical means such as threads, snap-on, or other methods. The blister pump  104  uses a flexible diaphragm  105  that is shaped something like a suction cup with similar flexing properties. The diaphragm  105  has a top opening  106  which communicates with the tube  107 , and bottom opening  108  that rests against the more or less flat bottle bottom  109 . Diaphragm  105  has a natural shape that it always returns to after it is deformed. When diaphragm  105  is compressed against the bottle bottom  109 , a seal  110  (see  FIG. 1 , detail A) is formed at the bottle bottom  109  and the fluid within the diaphragm  105  is forced up the tube  107 , through the spout  111  and the check nozzle  112 . Check nozzle  112  only allows fluid to flow in one direction out of the dispenser, and air cannot re-enter the check nozzle  112  to dry out the fluid in the spout  111 . The compression is accomplished by pressing tube  107  by means of the thumb saddle  113 . This means that tube  107  must be reasonably rigid. When pressure on thumb saddle  113  is released, diaphragm  105  tries to return to its natural state as fluid refills the diaphragm  105  from the bottle bottom  109 . To do this, the seal  110  must be released as the thumb saddle  113  is near the end of its downward travel. Once the seal  110  is broken and the thumb saddle  113  is released, fluid rapidly flows back into the diaphragm  105 . The fluid flow prevents the seal  110  from reforming as the diaphragm  105  refills. The Blister Pump includes the diaphragm  105  at the bottle bottom  109 , the bottom opening  108  with a release mechanism of seal  110 , and a check nozzle  112  above the diaphragm  105  that communicates with the top opening  106 . The tube  107  and spout  111  are simply a means of transferring fluid from the diaphragm  105  to the check nozzle  112 . One advantage of this Blister Pump  104  is it allows the dispenser to remove the last ounce of fluid from the precise bottle bottom  109 . We have shown that the last ounce of fluid can be forced out the spout with air in the diaphragm  105 . In  FIG. 1 , detail A, the release mechanism shown is a plurality of bumps  114  as part of the bottle bottom  109  at the outer periphery of diaphragm  105 . When diaphragm  105  expands over these bumps  114  upon compression, the seal  110  is released to allow fluid to refill the diaphragm  105 . This is called the bump method.  FIG. 2 , detail C shows an optional compression spring  214  that can be used to aid the refilling of the diaphragm  105 . A spring was not shown in  FIG. 1  because it hid details that will be discussed below.  
         [0026]     In  FIG. 1  the tube  107  has a flange  116  that seals against the lid  102  by means of a gasket seal  117  that may be part of the lid seal as shown. The gasket seal  117  is sealed without pressure on the thumb saddle  113  because diaphragm  105  and/or compression spring  214  are not quite allowed to return to their natural states which forces the gasket seal  117  to be closed. Only when the thumb saddle  113  is compressed, does the bottle  101  vent through the lid hole  120  resulting in minimal air exposure protecting the fluid from drying and possibly suffering from chemical reactions with air.  
         [0027]     Shown in  FIG. 1 , detail B is a locking mechanism for traveling; for example when the dispenser is placed in a suit case or a shipment box. The lid  102  has a plurality of convex lid tabs  121  that are captured by opposing concave skirt tabs  122  on skirt  115  to lock the lid  102  to the skirt  115  securing the gasket seal  117 . The skirt  115  and skirt tabs  122  are features of a single part that includes the tube  107 , flange  116 , thumb saddle  113 , and spout  111  features. This locking mechanism requires twisting the spout  111  to latch the lid tabs  121  and skirt tabs  122 . With the lid tabs  121  as part of the lid  102 , no extra parts are required to fabricate this locking mechanism. The tabs simply require that they engage each other, and of course these tabs can have different shapes than shown. An alternate locking method is shown in  FIG. 2 , detail D to be discussed below.  
         [0028]      FIG. 1  shows a pin  118  at the bottle bottom  109  that prevents the diaphragm  105  from slipping and causing the spout  111  or thumb saddle  113  to tip. This allows us to loosen the tolerances on the dispenser parts. The pin  118  in  FIG. 1 , detail A is a plurality of legs  119  that guide tube  107 , but allows fluid to flow from diaphragm  105  through tube  107 . In today&#39;s dispensers, because the spout is so close to the piston, tolerances between piston and cylinder must be about 0.002 inches to prevent a noticeable wobbling of the spout. With the diaphragm  105  at a much further distance from the spout, tolerances between pin and diaphragm can be about 0.020 inches before a noticeable wobbling of the spout is observed. That is, our tolerances are relaxed by about a factor of ten. Also shown at the pin  118  is a boss  124  to center a compression spring  214  to the bottle bottom  109 . The compression spring  214  is shown in  FIG. 2 , detail C. There is also an additional shoulder  123  in the diaphragm  105  to capture the top of the compression spring  214 .  
         [0000]     Alternatives  
         [0029]      FIG. 2  shows a different way to activate an alternate Blister Pump  200  by pressing down on a more or less vertical rigid rod  201  by means of the alternate thumb saddle  212 . In this case the alternate spout  208  and nozzle  112  would be fixed to the alternate bottle lid  202 , and the flexible tube  207  is used to communicate fluid between the diaphragm  105  and alternate spout  208 . One end of this flexible tube  207  is attached to the alternate spout  208  just below the alternate bottle lid  202 , and the other end is attached to the rod tee  216  just above the diaphragm  105 . Standard methods are used for this attachment; for example, stretching the flexible tube over the nozzle and rod tee stubs. Venting is accomplished by a reduction of diameter with a rod groove  209  ( see  FIG. 3 , detail D) in the rod  201  as it moves through alternate lid hole  210 . A gasket/seal  211  seals to prevent air exposure to the fluid in the bottle  101  when the rod  201  is no longer compressed, similar to the method discussed in  FIG. 1 . A compression spring  214  captured by boss  124  and shoulder  123  is shown in  FIG. 2 , detail C as discussed in the  FIG. 1  specification.  
         [0030]     An alternative locking mechanism is also shown in  FIG. 2 , detail D whereby a plurality of lock fingers  215  latch into the rod groove  209  when the rod  201  is twisted. In  FIG. 2  the alternate thumb saddle  212  and alternate lid hole  210  are oval to prevent the rod  201  from wrapping the flexible tube  207  around rod  201 . The rod, of course, could be round with a key way through the lid to prevent a complete rotation of the rod. Again, as in the description of  FIG. 1 , no extra parts are required for this locking mechanism.  
         [0031]     The diaphragm seal  110  release mechanism at the bottle bottom  109  at the end of the down stroke of the tube  107  or rod  201  of either dispensers in  FIGS. 1 and 2 , respectively, can be accomplished in several different ways other than the bump method previously discussed.  FIGS. 3A  to  3 C show some of these alternatives: 
        a)  FIG. 3A  shows what is called the rough-edge method where the rough edge  311  of the outer periphery of diaphragm  105  is not so rough that it cannot create the seal  110  on the down stroke of the tube  107  or rod  201 , but it is sufficiently rough to release the seal when the thumb pressure is relaxed. A plurality of shallow slots  311  as shown works well.     b)  FIG. 3B  shows what is called the heel-toe method where a plurality of heels  312  inside the diaphragm  105  act as a fulcrum that can pop the outer periphery of the diaphragm toe  313  as the diaphragm  105  is compressed. The heels  312  could be made part of the bottle bottom  109  as another alternative.     c)  FIG. 3C  shows what is called the slit method where a plurality of slits  314  at the periphery of the diaphragm  105  open at the bottom of the down stroke of the tube  107  or rod  201 . The slits are shown in the radial direction, but other directions near the periphery of the diaphragm  105  will work. 
 
  FIG. 3D  shows another form of the diaphragm that is called the double-cup  316  shape. One of the steps in producing this prototype diaphragm was to sew two modified suction cups together at their outer periphery, see sewed edge  317 . Of course, this shape can be made as a single part. This shape has some advantages because it requires much less force to release the seal  110  due to its smaller area. Here a rough edge  311  is all that is needed to release the seal at the bottle bottom  109 . The disadvantage is that it may take longer to refill, although we saw no evidence of this. A spring can also be integrated into the diaphragm shape if desired. 
       
 
         [0035]     Like the bump method discussed in  FIGS. 1 and 2 , once the seal  110  is broken, fluid continues to refill the diaphragms of  FIG. 3 . Seal  110  reseals only on the down stroke of  107  or rod  201 . Obviously, the diaphragm can take on many shapes, and does not have to be cylindrically symmetric.  
         [0036]      FIGS. 4A  to  4 C show some alternatives to the pin  118 . The function of the pin  118  is to position any of the diaphragms of  FIGS. 1, 2 , and  3  at the bottle bottom  109 , but still allow fluid to flow through any of the tubes ( 107  or  207 ).  FIG. 4A  shows the pin  118  in  FIGS. 1 and 2  with four legs  119 . Obviously one or more legs can be used.  FIG. 4B  shows the pin  118  as a cylinder  403  with four slots  404 . Obviously a different number of slots can be used. Finally  FIG. 4C  shows the pin  118  as a post  405  with a star cross-section  406  with  4  points. It is obvious that a different number of points can be used. In fact, pin  118  can be a round bar with a diameter substantially smaller than the inside diameter of tube  107  or rod tee  216 . The top of any pin  118  can be more tapered and/or made longer than indicated to ease the alignment of the tube  107  or rod  201  during assembly. Other designs for the same function would be obvious.  
         [0037]     The check nozzle  112  is designed to be opened when fluid is dispensed, but closed after the dispensing is complete. In this way the fluid in the spout  111  or  208  and check nozzle  112  is not exposed to air. Fluid remains in the spout  111  or  208  for instant dispensing; that is, there is no delay from the filling of the spout  111  or  208 . The check nozzle  112  prevents the fluid in the spout from drying and leaving a crusty residue as well as prevents dripping at the end of the spout  111  or  208 . The check nozzle  112  can be accomplished in several different ways.  FIGS. 5A  to  5 F show some of these alternatives: 
        a)  FIGS. 5A  to  5 C show what is called the shuttle type nozzle. As shown in  FIG. 5A , this is a one-piece nozzle. The cylindrical spring  505  has the shuttle  503  at one end and spring fingers  507  at the other end. In  FIG. 5B and 5C  the spring fingers  507  snap into spout slot  506  inside the spout  111  or  208 . When fluid is dispensed by depressing the tube  107  or rod  201 , the shuttle  503  is forced out of the spout  111  or  208  to allow fluid to flow through the shuttle hole  504  as shown in cross-section in  FIG. 5B . When the pressure on the tube  107  or rod  201  is relaxed, the shuttle moves back into the spout  111  or  208  by the cylindrical spring  505  to seal the fluid from the air as shown in cross-section in  FIG. 5C . A stop  508  may be used to prevent the shuttle  503  from extending beyond the shuttle hole  504 . It is preferred that the shuttle  503  is made of a material (for example tetrafluoroethylene) that does not wet to the fluid to improve the air seal without a tight fit to the inside diameter of spout  111  or  208 .     b)  FIGS. 5D and 5E  show what is called the leaf spring type nozzle.  FIG. 5D  shows the housing  513  that would be attached to a spout  111  or  208  and  FIG. 5E  shows the leaf spring  510  in its bent condition. The leaf spring  510  is fabricated flat, but has flexible spring like properties. The wide end  515  slips into the keyway  514  at the top of a housing  513  in  FIG. 5D . The narrow end  516  presses against the curved surface of groove  511  that has a through hole  512  for fluid to flow out of the spout  111  or  208 . The narrow end  516  lifts up when fluid is forced against it during the dispensing to allow fluid to flow down the groove  511  into the user&#39;s hand. When the dispensing stops the narrow part of the leaf spring  516  moves back into the groove  511  to cover the hole  512  and prevents air exposure to the fluid remaining in the spout  111  or  208 . This nozzle can be made with two parts, the housing  513  and leaf spring  510 . The housing  513  can be attached to the spout  111  or  208  by spring fingers  521 , gluing, or any other method.     c)  FIG. 5F  shows what is called the balloon type nozzle (also shown in  FIGS. 1 and 2 ) in cross-section. A small balloon  517  is stretched over the spout  111  or  208 . The balloon  517  has a rolled opened end  518  at the left and a small off-center hole  519  at the right. The spout  111  or  208  has an external spout groove  524  to capture the rolled edge  518 , and a thickened edge  522  at the bottom of the spout end. On this thickened edge  522  is a shallow conical channel  523  that does not quite reach to the inside of the spout opening. The balloon  517  is stretched over the end of the spout  111  or  208  such that the small hole in the balloon  519  expands over the thickened edge  522 . The balloon hole  519  does not normally communicate with the inside of the spout  111  or  208 . When fluid is dispensed, the balloon  517  expands to allow fluid down the conical channel  523  into the user&#39;s hand. The balloon  517  seals off the end of the spout when the fluid flow stops. This nozzle can be accomplished with one part, the balloon  517  along with a slightly modified spout  111  or  208 .        
 
         [0041]     Of course other check nozzle designs can be used; for example, the common ball valve or pop valve.  
         [0000]     Conclusion, Ramifications, and Scope  
         [0042]     Accordingly, from the description of this invention, the advantages of this dispenser become evident: 
        A manual dispenser that is of high quality; that is, dispenses a constant volume of fluid, works efficiently, is properly vented, and is of sturdy construction.     A dispenser that is inexpensive with fewer and simpler parts with relaxed tolerances and substantially less fabrication time. This dispenser can be made of as few as 5 parts including the bottle and lid compared to the 12-15 parts of today&#39;s dispensers.     A dispenser that will add little to the cost of the fluid and can be considered disposable.     Fluid does not dry at or in the spout.     The fluid will not drip at the spout end.     Fluid is immediately dispensed without delay.     The fluid at the spout cannot be as easily contaminated by air born germs (especially important with multiple users and when dispensing food).     The last ounce of fluid in the bottle can be dispensed avoiding the user from having to fish for the last ounce or avoiding throwing it away in a wasteful fashion.     Bottle is vented only when dispensing occurs. Fluid in the bottle is minimally exposed to air during the venting process.     Fluid will not run out when the bottle is tipped.     A simple locking mechanism is integrated into the dispenser for traveling purposes.        
 
         [0054]     Although the description above contains many specifications, these should not be construed as limiting the scope of the invention, but as merely providing illustrations of some of the presently preferred embodiments of this invention; for example, the bottle, diaphragm, tube, spout or check nozzle do not have to have the cylindrically symmetric cross-sections. They could have rectangular, oval, or triangular cross-sections. Any scale or aspect ratios of the part dimensions are possible in this disclosure. It is obvious that dispenser materials must be compatible with the fluid being dispensed. For example, materials should not react nor dissolve in the fluid. Also it is clear this dispenser can be used to transfer any volume of fluid from one level to another for any purpose.  
         [0055]     Thus the scope of the invention should be determined by the appended claims and their legal equivalents rather than by the examples given.