Bellows Neck Squeeze Fluid Dispenser

This invention relates to the field of manual fluid dispensing systems, and more particularly to fluid dispensers wherein fluid is pumped from a fluid container by squeezing and releasing a flexible portion of the container neck. A number of prior art dispensing systems have been developed wherein a container or bottle includes a neck which includes a flexible member whereby the volume thereof may be varied by actuation of a trigger mechanism which engages the flexible member in the bottle neck. A suitable combination of check valves upstream and downstream of the flexible neck member provides a pumping effect when the flexible neck member, or trigger mechanism engaging such flexible neck member, is alternatively squeezed and released. While such prior art devices are effective to pump pressurized fluid from a container so equipped, they have not only been unduly commplicated in construction, but have been difficult to operate comfortably due to high operating forces and undesirable fluid flow responses yielded by such mechanisms.

Accordingly, it is an object of the present invention to provide a neck squeeze fluid dispensing system whereby relative large volumes of fluid may be conveniently expelled by relatively few manipulations of the dispenser.

It is another object of the invention to provide a neck squeeze fluid dispenser in which all loads encountered during manual manipulation of the dispenser are maintained below any uncomfortably high forces regardless of the manner in which the neck squeeze mechanism is manipulated.

Still another object of the present invention is to provide a neck squeeze fluid dispensing system in which a strong continuous flow of fluid will be achieved by a relatively slow and infrequent manipulation of the neck squeeze mechanism.

Still another object of the present invention is to provide a neck squeeze fluid dispensing system which is relatively uncomplicated and inexpensive to manufacture and assemble.

Another object of the present invention is to provide a neck squeeze fluid dispenser which is easily refillable.

These and other objects and advantages are achieved by the device of the present invention which provides a dispenser which includes a bottle portion and a cylindrical neck portion which extends above the bottle portion and has a bellows integrally formed in one side thereof. The bottle and neck portions of the container, including the bellows, are integrally formed from one piece of plastic whereby the bellows portion will be deformable due to the inherent flexibility of the plastic in the bellows wall configuration. The upper end of the cylindrical neck portion is closed by a dispenser body which includes fluid passage means, and check valve means disposed in said fluid passage means. A tubular member is disposed within the neck portion of the fluid container and retained therein by the dispenser body, and includes a lower end portion which includes isolation means, including seal means, for isolating the container neck portion from the container body. A check valve disposed in the isolation means of the tubular member controls flow of fluid between the bottle and the neck portion of the bottle. A hand engageable trigger mechanism is slideable on the neck portion of the bottle and engages the neck bellows through a trigger spring whereby the force between the trigger and the bellows will be limited to the force of maximum compression of the spring, and will be sustained over an extended range of trigger compressions by subsequent expansion of the trigger springs and compression of the bellows.

In the drawings:

FIG. 1 is a sectional view of a dispenser system embodying the present invention;

FIG. 2 is a sectional view taken along the line 2--2 in FIG. 1; and

FIG. 3 is an exploded perspective view of the dispenser system of the present invention.

Referring to FIG. 1, a dispensing system embodying the present invention is shown generally at 10 and includes a bottle 12 and a bottle neck 14 formed integrally therewith and joined to the bottle at a cylindrical restricted portion 16. Bottle neck 14 is of generally cylindrical configuration and extends upwardly above bottle 12 and terminates in a finish 18 having threads 20 provided thereon. Formed integrally on one side of bottle neck 14 is a bellows 22 having accordian-like side walls 24 closed by an end wall 26 which has a raised cylindrical spring retainer 28 formed thereon. The accordian-like configuration of the side walls of the bellows, and the flexibility of the plastic selected to construct the bottle and integral bottle neck and bellows, results in lateral flexibility of the bellows which will result in a change of volume thereof, and of the bottle neck on which it is formed, when lateral forces are imposed on the end wall of the bellows.

A U-shaped trigger member 30 is disposed around the bellows on the front of the bottle neck and is reciprocal on a flat shoulder formed on the bottle adjacent the bottle neck. As shown in FIG. 2, the bottle neck has flats 31 formed at each side of the neck. Trigger 30 has rear edges which are provided with inwardly directed lips 32 which slide on flats 31 and are arranged to engage ridges 34 provided for limiting sliding of the trigger on the bottle neck.

A cylindrical spring retainer 36 is provided on the inner front surface of the trigger in alignment with spring retainer 28 on the end wall of the bellows for retention of a trigger spring 38 therebetween.

A fluid tube comprising a cylindrical member 40 having openings 42 provided in the wall thereof is disposed within bottle neck 14 and includes a lower end 44 closed by an end wall 46 having a depending annular skirt 48 provided around the periphery thereof. Skirt 48 is arranged to fit closely within restricted portion 16 of bottle neck 14 at the juncture of bottle 12 and bottle neck 14, and has an annular groove 50 in which is disposed a circular seal 52 for sealing engagement of the skirt with the restricted portion 16 of the bottle neck.

Disposed in end wall 46 is a tube 54 whose lower portion is provided with an internal bore 56 into which is fitted the upper end of a dip tube 58. Disposed in tube 54 above dip tube 58 is a duck bill check valve 60 which opens upwardly into the interior of fluid tube 40 and bottle neck 14.

The upper end of fluid tube 40 is provided with an annular flange 62 arranged to engage the top surface of finish 18 for retaining the fluid tube in the bottle neck whereby seal 52 will engage restricted portion 16.

A dispenser body 64 is disposed on bottle neck 14 by means of a cap portion 66 provided with internal thread 68 arranged to threadably engage finish 18 in sealing relationship therewith. Cap portion 66 forms a fluid chamber 70 which communicates with a horizontal fluid discharge passage 72 formed by a first inner bore 74 and a larger outer bore 76 which is joined with inner bore 72 by a conical surface which forms a valve seat 78 for a balltype check valve 80 disposed in outer bore 76. A spray nozzle assembly 82 is secured to the dispenser body by means of a tubular member 84 which is pressed into the outer end of outer bore 76. The end of tubular member 84 includes an internal bore 86 which forms a retainer seat for a spring 88 which biases check valve 80 against valve seat 78. A tab 90 extends rearwardly from the dispenser body for resting of the dispenser and bottle coupled thereto on the top of the hand.

The fluid dispenser disclosed may be easily and comfortably gripped at the bottle neck 14 by one hand whereby tab 90 will rest upon the top of the hand at the base of the thumb to support the weight of the fluid dispenser on the hand without a requirement for tightly gripping the bottle neck. The fingers of the hand gripping the bottle neck will wrap naturally around trigger 30 for easy actuation thereof.

In operation, fluid may be dispensed from bottle 12 through spray nozzle 82 by manually squeezing the bottle neck and trigger whereby the trigger will slide toward bottle neck 14, exerting a force through trigger spring 38 on bellows 22, collapsing the bellows and decreasing the volume of the bottle neck 14. Fluid in bottle neck 14 will be prevented from re-entering bottle 12 by check valve 60, and will be discharged through fluid discharge passage 72, past check valve 80, which will open against spring 88 when fluid pressure in passage 72 reaches a pre-selected level. Since trigger 30 is coupled to bellows 22 through spring 38, the reaction force exerted by the bellows on the trigger during compression thereof will be modulated by the compressability of the spring and limited to the spring force exerted at maximum compression thereof. In addition to limiting the reaction forces on the trigger, the spring coupling of the trigger to the bellows also provides for a sustained pumping of fluid from the bottle neck by collapsing of the bellows under the force exerted by compressed spring 38 after inward travel of the trigger terminates, and thus the volume of fluid that can be expelled with each operation of the trigger is large. It will further be appreciated that since the cross section of the bellows is constant, and will remain constant as the bellows is compressed, the change of volume of the bellows will be linear with respect to displacement of the bellows end wall, and thus the pressure of fluid disposed in the bottle neck will be constant. It will further be appreciated that the end wall of the bellows may be displaced at significant distance laterally, and yield a significant and extensive change in volume of the bellows and the bottle neck for expelling a volume of fluid from the bottle neck comparable to the volume of the bellows in the uncompressed mode. Accordingly, the dispenser of the present invention does not require numerous or rapid operation thereof to achieve a high fluid discharge rate.