U.S. patent application number 11/276671 was filed with the patent office on 2007-08-02 for safety pushbutton for operating fluid substance dispensing pumps.
This patent application is currently assigned to MICROSPRAY DELTA S.p.A.. Invention is credited to Andrea MARELLI, Victor RIBERA TURRO'.
Application Number | 20070175925 11/276671 |
Document ID | / |
Family ID | 37890745 |
Filed Date | 2007-08-02 |
United States Patent
Application |
20070175925 |
Kind Code |
A1 |
MARELLI; Andrea ; et
al. |
August 2, 2007 |
SAFETY PUSHBUTTON FOR OPERATING FLUID SUBSTANCE DISPENSING
PUMPS
Abstract
An operating pushbutton for dispensing pumps for fluid
substances contained in containers on which the pumps are mounted.
The pushbutton has an end portion which can translate on a portion
thereof applicable to the pump stem, such that when a pressure is
exerted on said end portion it undergoes a free translation before
causing the other pushbutton portion to move, hence preventing
accidental dispensing of the fluid substance.
Inventors: |
MARELLI; Andrea; (Milan,
IT) ; RIBERA TURRO'; Victor; (Barcelona, ES) |
Correspondence
Address: |
OBLON, SPIVAK, MCCLELLAND, MAIER & NEUSTADT, P.C.
1940 DUKE STREET
ALEXANDRIA
VA
22314
US
|
Assignee: |
MICROSPRAY DELTA S.p.A.
Fizzonasco di Pieve Emanuele
IT
|
Family ID: |
37890745 |
Appl. No.: |
11/276671 |
Filed: |
March 9, 2006 |
Current U.S.
Class: |
222/321.3 ;
222/477 |
Current CPC
Class: |
B05B 11/3052
20130101 |
Class at
Publication: |
222/321.3 ;
222/477 |
International
Class: |
B65D 88/54 20060101
B65D088/54; B65D 47/00 20060101 B65D047/00 |
Foreign Application Data
Date |
Code |
Application Number |
Jan 30, 2006 |
IT |
MI2006A 000150 |
Claims
1. A safety pushbutton applicable to the stem of a pump or valve
for dispensing fluid substances comprising two separate portions,
namely a free end portion and, respectively, a main portion in
which there are provided a seat for the free end of said stem and a
nozzle for the exit of fluid substance originating from said seat,
to which the nozzle is connected by a conduit provided in the main
portion of the pushbutton, said end portion being movable relative
to the main portion of the pushbutton, on which it is retained by
retention elements which hold together these two pushbutton
portions, between which there is interposed an elastically
deformable element which urges the free end portion away from the
main portion of the pushbutton towards and against said retention
elements.
2. A safety pushbutton as claimed in claim 1, wherein said
elastically deformable element consists of at least one deformable
appendix projecting from one of the two pushbutton portions and
resting on the other pushbutton portion.
3. A safety pushbutton as claimed in claim 1, wherein said
retention elements consist of teeth or ribs projecting from one of
said pushbutton portions and interacting with ribs or recesses
provided on the other pushbutton portion.
4. A safety pushbutton as claimed in claim 2, wherein said
retention elements consist of teeth or ribs projecting from one of
said pushbutton portions and interacting with ribs or recesses
provided on the other pushbutton portion.
Description
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
[0001] 1. Field of the Invention
[0002] The present invention relates to a safety pushbutton for
operating fluid substance dispensing pumps.
[0003] 2. Discussion of Related Art
[0004] To controlledly dispense fluid substances (in particular
liquid or creamy substances), it is known to use valves or pumps
mounted on the mouth of containers in which the substances are
contained, either under or not under pressure. Such pumps or valves
have a hollow stem projecting out of the respective container and a
pushbutton or cap which is mounted on the free end of the stem and
has a nozzle or hole through which the fluid substance can be
dispensed to the outside of the container following axial
translation of the pushbutton. When the pump is in its rest
condition there is no flow of fluid substance from the nozzle of
the pushbutton. When pressure is exerted (usually with a finger of
one hand) on the free end of the pushbutton, this moves axially
together with the stem on which it is mounted, hence operating the
pump or valve and dispensing the fluid substance. Even small
movements of the pushbutton away from its rest position cause the
substance to emerge from the container in which it is held, this in
many cases representing an important drawback. For example, if the
substance is a perfume or a deodorant, it is often held in a small
container which can be carried in the user's handbag: the user (in
this case generally a woman) may inadvertently exert a small
pressure on the free end of the container when inserting a hand
into the handbag, with the result that the pushbutton moves
slightly away from its rest position, to cause undesired dispensing
of the substance. A similar undesired dispensing of the fluid
substance can occur if, after being filled, the containers are
positioned one on another (for example packaged in boxes in which
the containers may be positioned on several levels) to facilitate
their transport and storage: a temporary axial force may be
transmitted to the free end of the pushbuttons of those containers
lying at lower levels (for example as the result of impacts
received by the boxes used to transport them), resulting in a small
movement or oscillation which can cause undesired dispensing of
fluid substance.
[0005] To reduce this drawback, pumps have been produced in which
the stem can be moved away from its rest position through a limited
distance without the fluid substance emerging. Pumps of this known
type have a complicated and costly structure: one of these is
described for example in U.S. Pat. No. 3,583,605.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
[0006] The main object of the present invention is to provide a
safety pushbutton which can be mounted on the free end of the stem
of any pump or valve of known type and prevents dispensing of fluid
substance when the free end of the pushbutton undergoes, away from
its rest position, a movement (generally of a small extent) which
is less than an amount determined during the design and manufacture
of the pushbutton.
[0007] A further object is to provide a pushbutton of the aforesaid
type which is of low production cost and has a simple structure of
reliable operation.
[0008] These and other objects are attained by a safety pushbutton
applicable to the stem of a pump or valve for dispensing fluid
substances, characterised by comprising two separate portions,
namely a free end portion and, respectively, a main portion in
which there are provided a seat for the free end of said stem and a
nozzle for the exit of fluid substance originating from said seat,
to which the nozzle is connected by a conduit provided in the main
portion of the pushbutton, said end portion being movable relative
to the main portion of the pushbutton, on which it is retained by
retention elements which hold together these two pushbutton
portions, between which there is interposed an elastically
deformable element which urges the free end portion away from the
main portion of the pushbutton towards and against said retention
elements.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
[0009] The structure and characteristics of the safety pushbutton
will be more apparent from the ensuing description of one
embodiment thereof given by way of non-limiting example with
reference to the accompanying drawing, in which
[0010] FIGS. 1, 2 and 3 are partly sectional side elevations of a
safety pushbutton in three successive positions between its rest
position and its dispensing position.
DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION
[0011] The figures show schematically a pump 1 (of any known type)
mounted on the mouth of a container 2 by means of a ring cap 3, 4.
From the upper end 4 (with respect to the drawing) of the ring cap
3, 4 there projects the stem 5 of the pump 1; the container 2
contains (in known manner, not shown for simplicity) a fluid
(liquid or creamy) substance which is fed into the pump 1 by a dip
tube, not shown in the drawings as it is of usual type well known
to the art.
[0012] When the pump is operated, the fluid substance originating
from the pump 1 is expelled to the outside through a dispensing
nozzle of a pushbutton 6 mounted on the free end of the stem 5 and
operable by a finger of one hand pressing on the free end (the
upper end with respect to the figures) of the pushbutton. The
present invention relates to the structure and operation of the
pushbutton 6, 7 which, as will be apparent from the ensuing
description, can be defined as a "safety pushbutton". This
pushbutton comprises two separate portions, namely a main portion 6
and a free end portion 7.
[0013] The main portion 6 is shown in front view and has
substantially the form of a pushbutton of any known type, it
comprising a nozzle 8 (for expelling the fluid substance from the
container 2 to the outside environment) which, by means of a
conduit, not shown but also of a type known in the art, is
connected to a seat (also not shown in the drawing) in which the
free end of the stem 5 of the pump 1 is sealedly inserted.
[0014] The free end portion 7 of the safety pushbutton is shown in
axial section in the figures and has substantially the form of a
disc 9 from which there projects a tubular skirt 10 (or a plurality
of separate appendices) having at its free end a series of inwardly
projecting teeth 11 (or a continuous rib). The rib or teeth 11
interfere with a continuous rib 12 projecting outwards from the
upper end of the pushbutton main portion 6 such that the disc 9 can
rock about the portion 6 but cannot separate therefrom, this being
prevented by the teeth or rib 11 which interfere with the
projecting rib 12 (the desired result of allowing the two
pushbutton portions to rock about each other but preventing their
involuntary separation could evidently be achieved in other
equivalent ways, for example by making teeth or a rib projecting
from one of the two portions engage in a respective groove or
recess provided in the opposing surface of the other pushbutton
portion).
[0015] As can be seen from the figures, there project from the
lower surface of the disc 9 a plurality of inclined flexible
appendices 13, the free ends of which rest on the upper surface of
the pushbutton main portion 6, to maintain the disc 9 (and hence
the end portion 7 of the pushbutton) raised from the upper surface
of the pushbutton main portion 6 when the pump and the pushbutton
are in their rest condition (FIG. 1).
[0016] When a pressure is exerted on the upper surface of the disc
9 with one finger, the flexible appendices 13 firstly flex and the
disc 9 approaches the upper surface of the pushbutton main portion,
without this operating the pump 1: for this to happen, the elastic
resistance of the appendices 13 to flexure must be less than the
force required to operate the pump (which generally contains a
spring tending to maintain it urged into its closed rest
position).
[0017] After a small initial free movement, the disc 9 (or a
non-flexible element forming part of the end portion 7 of the
pushbutton) comes into contact with the pushbutton portion 6, as
shown in FIG. 2. Starting from this position and continuing to
press on the disc 9, this continues to move downwards (with respect
to the figures), but now causing the pushbutton portion 6 to move
and hence the pump to operate, so dispensing the fluid substance
through the nozzle 8.
[0018] The elastically deformable elements which tend to maintain
the two pushbutton portions spaced apart can be different from the
appendices 13 shown in the drawings: for example, they can consist
of a metal spring or a different element. The pushbutton can be
advantageously produced very easily and economically by moulding
all its components from plastic material.
[0019] From the description, it will be apparent that forces can be
transmitted to the top of the free end portion of the pushbutton
which cause it to undergo movements within values determined during
production, without resulting in operation of the pump on which the
pushbutton is applied.
* * * * *