Patent ID: 8147461

Claim:
A fluid dispensing device for dispensing a fluid product having: a dispensing outlet from which the fluid product is dispensable, a supply of the fluid product, a dispensing member mounted for movement in an upward, dispensing direction along an axis from a first position to a second position which causes a dose of the fluid product in the supply to be dispensed from the dispensing outlet, and a finger-operable actuator member mounted for pivotal movement about a lower end of the actuator member in an actuating direction which is generally transverse to the axis, wherein the actuator member has at least one cam surface remote from the lower end and the dispensing member has at least one cam follower surface, wherein the actuator member is pivotally movable in the actuating direction to cause the at least one cam surface to bear against the at least one cam follower surface to force the at least one cam follower surface to ride over the cam surface to cam the dispensing member in the upward, dispensing direction from the first position to the second position, wherein the at least one cam surface has a commitment section, oriented at a first angle to the axis, and an adjacent drive section, which is oriented at a second angle to the axis which is greater than the first angle, wherein the device is configured and arranged such that, in use, the at least one cam follower surface successively rides upward over the commitment and drive sections of the at least one cam surface, on pivotal movement of the actuator member in the actuating direction, to cam the dispensing member from the first position to the second position, wherein the first angle is selected such that a minimum actuating force is required to be applied to the actuator member to cause the at least one cam follower surface to ride upward over the commitment section onto the drive section, and wherein the drive section of the at least one cam surface is a convex section.