GB2110771A - Hand-held pump-type dispensers - Google Patents
Hand-held pump-type dispensers Download PDFInfo
- Publication number
- GB2110771A GB2110771A GB08233801A GB8233801A GB2110771A GB 2110771 A GB2110771 A GB 2110771A GB 08233801 A GB08233801 A GB 08233801A GB 8233801 A GB8233801 A GB 8233801A GB 2110771 A GB2110771 A GB 2110771A
- Authority
- GB
- United Kingdom
- Prior art keywords
- pump
- container
- liquid
- dispenser according
- dispenser
- Prior art date
- Legal status (The legal status is an assumption and is not a legal conclusion. Google has not performed a legal analysis and makes no representation as to the accuracy of the status listed.)
- Granted
Links
- 239000007788 liquid Substances 0.000 claims abstract description 35
- 239000011261 inert gas Substances 0.000 claims abstract description 6
- 238000000034 method Methods 0.000 claims description 7
- IJGRMHOSHXDMSA-UHFFFAOYSA-N Atomic nitrogen Chemical compound N#N IJGRMHOSHXDMSA-UHFFFAOYSA-N 0.000 claims description 6
- CURLTUGMZLYLDI-UHFFFAOYSA-N Carbon dioxide Chemical compound O=C=O CURLTUGMZLYLDI-UHFFFAOYSA-N 0.000 claims description 4
- ATUOYWHBWRKTHZ-UHFFFAOYSA-N Propane Chemical compound CCC ATUOYWHBWRKTHZ-UHFFFAOYSA-N 0.000 claims description 4
- 239000007789 gas Substances 0.000 claims description 4
- 229910052757 nitrogen Inorganic materials 0.000 claims description 3
- 239000001273 butane Substances 0.000 claims description 2
- 239000001569 carbon dioxide Substances 0.000 claims description 2
- 229910002092 carbon dioxide Inorganic materials 0.000 claims description 2
- 150000005827 chlorofluoro hydrocarbons Chemical class 0.000 claims description 2
- IJDNQMDRQITEOD-UHFFFAOYSA-N n-butane Chemical compound CCCC IJDNQMDRQITEOD-UHFFFAOYSA-N 0.000 claims description 2
- OFBQJSOFQDEBGM-UHFFFAOYSA-N n-pentane Natural products CCCCC OFBQJSOFQDEBGM-UHFFFAOYSA-N 0.000 claims description 2
- 238000004806 packaging method and process Methods 0.000 claims description 2
- 239000001294 propane Substances 0.000 claims description 2
- 238000013022 venting Methods 0.000 claims description 2
- GQPLMRYTRLFLPF-UHFFFAOYSA-N Nitrous Oxide Chemical compound [O-][N+]#N GQPLMRYTRLFLPF-UHFFFAOYSA-N 0.000 claims 2
- 239000001272 nitrous oxide Substances 0.000 claims 1
- 238000007789 sealing Methods 0.000 claims 1
- 239000002304 perfume Substances 0.000 abstract description 6
- 239000011800 void material Substances 0.000 abstract description 3
- 230000037452 priming Effects 0.000 description 7
- 238000011109 contamination Methods 0.000 description 3
- -1 polyethylene Polymers 0.000 description 3
- MWUXSHHQAYIFBG-UHFFFAOYSA-N Nitric oxide Chemical compound O=[N] MWUXSHHQAYIFBG-UHFFFAOYSA-N 0.000 description 2
- 239000004743 Polypropylene Substances 0.000 description 2
- 230000002411 adverse Effects 0.000 description 2
- 238000000889 atomisation Methods 0.000 description 2
- 238000004519 manufacturing process Methods 0.000 description 2
- 230000003647 oxidation Effects 0.000 description 2
- 238000007254 oxidation reaction Methods 0.000 description 2
- 229920001155 polypropylene Polymers 0.000 description 2
- 239000004698 Polyethylene Substances 0.000 description 1
- 229910000831 Steel Inorganic materials 0.000 description 1
- 239000000443 aerosol Substances 0.000 description 1
- 239000004411 aluminium Substances 0.000 description 1
- XAGFODPZIPBFFR-UHFFFAOYSA-N aluminium Chemical compound [Al] XAGFODPZIPBFFR-UHFFFAOYSA-N 0.000 description 1
- 229910052782 aluminium Inorganic materials 0.000 description 1
- 230000000903 blocking effect Effects 0.000 description 1
- 238000010276 construction Methods 0.000 description 1
- 238000002788 crimping Methods 0.000 description 1
- 230000007423 decrease Effects 0.000 description 1
- 230000000694 effects Effects 0.000 description 1
- 230000002349 favourable effect Effects 0.000 description 1
- 239000003205 fragrance Substances 0.000 description 1
- 239000011521 glass Substances 0.000 description 1
- 229920000573 polyethylene Polymers 0.000 description 1
- 230000000750 progressive effect Effects 0.000 description 1
- 238000010926 purge Methods 0.000 description 1
- 239000007921 spray Substances 0.000 description 1
- 239000012086 standard solution Substances 0.000 description 1
- 239000010959 steel Substances 0.000 description 1
Classifications
-
- B—PERFORMING OPERATIONS; TRANSPORTING
- B05—SPRAYING OR ATOMISING IN GENERAL; APPLYING FLUENT MATERIALS TO SURFACES, IN GENERAL
- B05B—SPRAYING APPARATUS; ATOMISING APPARATUS; NOZZLES
- B05B11/00—Single-unit hand-held apparatus in which flow of contents is produced by the muscular force of the operator at the moment of use
- B05B11/0005—Components or details
- B05B11/0037—Containers
- B05B11/0039—Containers associated with means for compensating the pressure difference between the ambient pressure and the pressure inside the container, e.g. pressure relief means
- B05B11/0041—Containers associated with means for compensating the pressure difference between the ambient pressure and the pressure inside the container, e.g. pressure relief means compensating underpressure without contact of the fluid remaining in the container with the atmospheric air
- B05B11/00411—Containers associated with means for compensating the pressure difference between the ambient pressure and the pressure inside the container, e.g. pressure relief means compensating underpressure without contact of the fluid remaining in the container with the atmospheric air the means being an inert gas
-
- B—PERFORMING OPERATIONS; TRANSPORTING
- B05—SPRAYING OR ATOMISING IN GENERAL; APPLYING FLUENT MATERIALS TO SURFACES, IN GENERAL
- B05B—SPRAYING APPARATUS; ATOMISING APPARATUS; NOZZLES
- B05B15/00—Details of spraying plant or spraying apparatus not otherwise provided for; Accessories
- B05B15/30—Dip tubes
-
- B—PERFORMING OPERATIONS; TRANSPORTING
- B05—SPRAYING OR ATOMISING IN GENERAL; APPLYING FLUENT MATERIALS TO SURFACES, IN GENERAL
- B05B—SPRAYING APPARATUS; ATOMISING APPARATUS; NOZZLES
- B05B11/00—Single-unit hand-held apparatus in which flow of contents is produced by the muscular force of the operator at the moment of use
- B05B11/01—Single-unit hand-held apparatus in which flow of contents is produced by the muscular force of the operator at the moment of use characterised by the means producing the flow
- B05B11/10—Pump arrangements for transferring the contents from the container to a pump chamber by a sucking effect and forcing the contents out through the dispensing nozzle
- B05B11/1001—Piston pumps
- B05B11/1016—Piston pumps the outlet valve having a valve seat located downstream a movable valve element controlled by a pressure actuated controlling element
- B05B11/1018—Piston pumps the outlet valve having a valve seat located downstream a movable valve element controlled by a pressure actuated controlling element and the controlling element cooperating with means for opening or closing the inlet valve
Landscapes
- Containers And Packaging Bodies Having A Special Means To Remove Contents (AREA)
- Agricultural Chemicals And Associated Chemicals (AREA)
Abstract
A small hand-held pump-type dispenser for liquids such as perfumes which must be kept out of contact with the atmosphere comprises a rigid closed container (4), fitted with a single-acting suction- delivery pump (3) with a capillary dip tube, sealed without access to atmosphere and filled at least partially with a liquid (11) under a pressure which is not greater than atmospheric pressure. The void space may contain an inert gas. There is an increasing depression in the container as the liquid is dispensed. Preferably the pump has a capilliary dip tube of less than half the useful volume of the pump. <IMAGE>
Description
SPECIFICATION
Hand-held pump-type dispensers and their use
This invention relates to small hand held dispensers of the pump-type for liquids that need to be shielded from atmospheric contamination.
The handling of liquids which are affected by atmospheric air, notably perfumes, presents a number of problems.
Such products are still often dispensed by atomisers operating under the action of a jet of air obtained, for example, from a rubber bulb. In this case the contamination by atmosphere is at a maximum.
Equally, suction and delivery pumps have been used, causing atomisation of the liquid by a mechanical swirl action. Contamination is a little less marked than with atomisers, but all the methods of handling of this type used hitherto assume that the liquid dispensed is to be replaced by fresh air introduced into the container. Thus they allow oxidation of the perfume or other product contained within the container.
To reduce this drawback it has been proposed to enclose the liquid in the container under the pressure of an inert gas, generally nitrogen, and to distribute it by means of a pump.
In this way the liquid is maintained out of contact with the air throughout the useful life of the container but the pressure of the gas injected into the container inhibits, at least at the start of use of the filled container, the efforts to actuate the pump, which a certain type of user could consider unacceptable.
Moreover the manufacture of this kind of dispenser is relatively troublesome as it involves the step of injecting gas under pressure into the interior of the container in addition to filling it with liquid.
The present invention has as its aim the reduction of the above-mentioned drawbacks in the known dispensers.
According to the invention a process for packaging and dispensing liquids to be dispensed from a hand-held container with a pump is characterised in that the liquid is contained in a rigid closed container, the container is fitted with a single-acting suctiondelivery pump without any provision for venting atmospheric air back into the interior of the container, and the liquid is dispensed by the pump with the progressive creation of an increasing depression within the container, below atmospheric pressure.
The invention also comprises a dispenser for putting the process into practice comprising a rigid container fitted with a single-acting suction-delivery pump, sealed without access from atmosphere, and filled at least partially with a liquid under a pressure not greater than atmospheric pressure.
Preferably the pump has a piston of a diameter between 3 and 10 mm.
The return spring for the piston of the pump on suction may have a force (at rest) of between 0.45 and 5 daN.
The dispenser according to the invention can be filled with liquid to an extent of more than 70% of its volume, and possible at least 90%.
In one preferred embodiment for handling perfumes or other products sensitive to oxidation, one could fill the void remaining in the container above the liquid with an inert gas having a density at least equal to that of the air, the gas being for example carbon dioxide, nitrogen, a chloro-fluoro hydrocarbon, nitrogen monoxide, butane or propane.
The dispensing of a liquid by means of a pump with the creation of an increasing depression inside the container, results in a number of advantages in simplicity of operation and flexibility in use.
The pressure which has to be exercised on the piston of the pump to obtain good atomisation is less than that necessary to actuate a pump of the standard kind in a dispenser that includes a vent from atmosphere to the interior of the container.
Moreover, for dispensing perfume, it is found that the dispenser having the pump working against a depression is better than the traditional equipment operating at atmospheric pressure.
In fact one notices a fresher and more lively fragrance than with the conventional kind of dispenser. It appears, in fact that the depression produced within the container has an added tendency to augment or increase the "note" of the perfume.
However, handling under a depression could in certain cases cause loss of priming in the pump at the end of a relatively short period of use, less than a single day.
The standard solution for avoiding loss of priming consists in fitting the pump inlet with a non-return valve. However such a valve has the drawback of adversely affecting the operation of a depression pump and necessitating the addition of extra components, which adversely affects the selling price.
It is generally admitted that a pump does not operate on the first dispensing stroke and that one obtains actual dispensing of the liquid only on the second, or at worst, on the third stroke.
The invention equally well allows a reduction in the drawback of loss of priming of a depression pump without necessitating extra components and without modifying the assembly of the equipment.
According to a further feature of the invention, the pump is fitted with dip tube at its inlet, leading from the bottom of the interior of the container, the internal volume of this tube being not more than half the useful volume of the pump.
Preferably the dip tube is a capillary dip tube of an inside diameter less than about 1 mm.
The invention will be better appreciated by reading the following detailed description in conjunction with the accompanying drawing which illustrates an embodiment of the invention by way of example.
The dispenser illustrated comprises essentially a rigid closed container 4 in the form of a metallic can of the kind currently used for so-called aerosol containers, preferably a container of coated sheet steel, as illustrated, or equally of aluminium or glass. The open end of this container is closed by a crimped metallic mounting cup 8 having a central opening 1 3 through which passes an actuating stem 1, integral with the operating piston 2 of a single-acting suction/delivery pump 3 of the standard kind, of which the pump body 5 has at its lower end a recess 6, to receive the upper end of a capillary dip tube 10 for admitting the liquid 11 to be dispensed. The body of the pump 5 terminates at its upper end in a collar 7 crimped into the mounting cup 8.A resilient gasket 9, compressed by an annular rib 12 on the body of the pump 5, provides a seal and isolates the interior of the container 4 from atmosphere.
A button 1 5 fitted on the end of the stem 1 of the pump allows the pump to be actuated against the action of a return spring 1 4 which effects the suction stroke of the piston 2 through the intermediary of a small auxiliary piston 1 7 of which the pointed upper end 1 8 forms a valve head blocking the internal discharge passage 1 9 of the stem 1 that leads to an atomiser nozzle 1 6 carried by the button 15.
This pump is of known construction and could be replaced by any other kind of pump, in particular of the type having a non-return valve of the type comprising a ball loaded by a spring.
A process of manufacture which is particularly practical and adaptable to the assembly lines designed for the assembly of standard dispensers consists in purging the air from the container 4 by injecting an inert gas of a density at least equal to that of air, then introducing into the container the desired quantity of liquid 11, putting the pump-carrying mounting cup 8, complete with the pump 3 and the button 1 5 in place, on the neck of the container, and crimping the cup to the container.
Thus the liquid is trapped in the interior of the container 4 in contact with the inert gas which fills the remaining void space 20 under a pressure which is initially in the neighbourhood of atmospheric pressure.
Progressively, as the liquid is dispensed by actuating the pump, the pressure falls in the space 20 without restricting the operation of the pump, a fact which is at first sight surprising because it is contrary to all assumptions.
The effort needed to actuate the pump decreases progressively as the container is emptied.
It is accepted that the efforts due to friction (f) are related to atmospheric pressure (Pa), to the cross-section (S) of the piston, and to the force (R) of the piston return spring by the equation: F < R - Pa.S Experience shows that these results are obtained in favourable conditions with a piston of a diameter between 3 and 10 mm, acted on by a return spring having a force between 0.45 and 5 daN, and that it is possible to utilise in practice the entire capacity of the container.
Progressively, as a depression is created inside the container as a consequence of the dispensing of the liquid there is a partial compensation of the pressure in the free space above the liquid, from the fact of the vapour pressure of the liquid contained.
In a practical example with a pump fitted with a capillary tube of 0.8 mm internal diameter, made of polyethylene or polypropylene, the internal volume of the pump is 11 8 mm3, the useful volume of the pump, that is to say the volume of the quantity of liquid dispensed at each stroke, is 75 mm3, and the internal volume of the passages in the button and the nozzle is 88 mm3.
With a capillary tube having a length of 8 cm, the internal volume of the tube is 20 mm3. The total priming volume is 226 mm3, comprising the volume of the dip tube, the pump and the button. The volume for repriming comprising only the pump and the dip tube is 1 38 mm3. Thus one can theoretically achieve priming of the pump in two or three strokes and re-priming in one or two strokes. In fact the first spray which is obtained does not necessarily correspond to the total useful volume.
Moreover by virtue of the capillarity inside the dip tube the liquid never descends inside the tube to the liquid level outside. For example, with the polypropylene tube having an inside diameter of 0.8 mm the capillarity creates a difference of 9 to 10 mm in the level of the liquid inside and outside the tube.
This difference in level offsets loss of priming and facilitates re-priming of the pump.
With a standard type of dip tube of 3mm inside diameter the loss of priming of the pump takes place very rapidly and re-priming requires at least one extra stroke of the pump for a dip tube length of 8 cm.
In the case of tall containers of a height of 1 6 cm for example, re-priming is always obtained in one or two strokes of the pump with a dip tube according to the invention, of which the internal volume does not exceed 40 mm3, as compared with 112 mm3 in a standard dip tube, such as to need more than two extra strokes of the pump.
Claims (10)
1. A process packaging and dispensing liquids to be dispensed from a hand-held container with a pump comprising trapping the liquid in a rigid closed container under pressure not greater than atomospheric pressure, sealing the container by fitting a singleacting suction-delivery pump without any provision for venting atmospheric air into the interior of the container, and dispensing the liquid by means of the pump with the creation of an increasing depression within the container.
2. A process according to claim 1 in which the pump is furthermore fitted with a feeding dip tube opening into the bottom of the container, the internal volume of this tube being not more than half the useful volume of the pump.
3. A pump-type dispenser for putting into practice the process of claim 1 or 2 comprising a rigid closed container fitted with a single-acting suction-delivery pump, sealed without access to atmosphere and filled at least partially with a liquid under pressure not greater than atmospheric pressure.
4. A dispenser according to claim 3 in which the pump has a piston of a diameter between 3 and 10 mm.
5. A dispenser according to claim 3 or claim 4 in which the piston has a return spring having a force (at rest) of between 0.45 and 5 daN.
6. A dispenser according to any one of claims 3 to 5 in which the degree of initial filling of the container with liquid is at least 70%.
7. A dispenser according to any one of claims 3 to 6 in which the residual space in the container above the liquid is filled with an inert gas of a density at least equal to that of air, the gas being carbon dioxide, nitrogen, a chloro-fluoro hydrocarbon, nitrous oxide, butane or propane.
8. A dispenser according to any one of claims 3 to 7 in which the pump is fitted with a capillary dip tube of which the internal volume is not more than half the useful volume of the pump.
9. A dispenser according to claim 8 in which the capillary tube has an internal diameter less than 1 mm.
10. A hand-held pump-type dispenser substantially as described with reference to the accompanying drawings.
Applications Claiming Priority (2)
| Application Number | Priority Date | Filing Date | Title |
|---|---|---|---|
| FR8122358A FR2517221A1 (en) | 1981-11-30 | 1981-11-30 | Pressure-distributed fluid preservation system - has pump generating increasing vacuum in vessel and preventing air inflow |
| FR8206985A FR2525497B2 (en) | 1982-04-23 | 1982-04-23 | PROCESS FOR PACKAGING LIQUID FOR DISPENSING UNDER PRESSURE AND PACKAGING USING SUCH A PROCESS |
Publications (2)
| Publication Number | Publication Date |
|---|---|
| GB2110771A true GB2110771A (en) | 1983-06-22 |
| GB2110771B GB2110771B (en) | 1985-07-31 |
Family
ID=26222648
Family Applications (1)
| Application Number | Title | Priority Date | Filing Date |
|---|---|---|---|
| GB08233801A Expired GB2110771B (en) | 1981-11-30 | 1982-11-26 | Hand-held pump-type dispensers |
Country Status (5)
| Country | Link |
|---|---|
| AU (1) | AU9092582A (en) |
| DE (1) | DE3243881A1 (en) |
| ES (1) | ES8307537A1 (en) |
| GB (1) | GB2110771B (en) |
| IT (1) | IT1205619B (en) |
Cited By (5)
| Publication number | Priority date | Publication date | Assignee | Title |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| EP0493643A1 (en) * | 1991-01-02 | 1992-07-08 | Cheng-Yuan Su | Atomizer |
| EP0530785A1 (en) * | 1991-09-05 | 1993-03-10 | Ing. Erich Pfeiffer GmbH | Dispensing device for fluids |
| US5560520A (en) * | 1995-08-07 | 1996-10-01 | Calmar Inc. | Precompression pump sprayer |
| GB2372782A (en) * | 2000-09-29 | 2002-09-04 | Pharmacure Ab | Nasal sprays |
| FR2933380A1 (en) * | 2008-07-01 | 2010-01-08 | Airlessystems | METHOD FOR CONDITIONING FLUID PRODUCT IN A DISPENSER |
-
1982
- 1982-11-23 IT IT24379/82A patent/IT1205619B/en active
- 1982-11-24 ES ES517643A patent/ES8307537A1/en not_active Expired
- 1982-11-26 GB GB08233801A patent/GB2110771B/en not_active Expired
- 1982-11-26 DE DE19823243881 patent/DE3243881A1/en not_active Withdrawn
- 1982-11-26 AU AU90925/82A patent/AU9092582A/en not_active Abandoned
Cited By (9)
| Publication number | Priority date | Publication date | Assignee | Title |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| EP0493643A1 (en) * | 1991-01-02 | 1992-07-08 | Cheng-Yuan Su | Atomizer |
| EP0530785A1 (en) * | 1991-09-05 | 1993-03-10 | Ing. Erich Pfeiffer GmbH | Dispensing device for fluids |
| US5375745A (en) * | 1991-09-05 | 1994-12-27 | Ing. Erich Pfeiffer Gmbh & Co. Kg | Media dispenser with initial pressure-relief state |
| US5560520A (en) * | 1995-08-07 | 1996-10-01 | Calmar Inc. | Precompression pump sprayer |
| GB2372782A (en) * | 2000-09-29 | 2002-09-04 | Pharmacure Ab | Nasal sprays |
| GB2372782B (en) * | 2000-09-29 | 2004-09-22 | Pharmacure Ab | Nasal sprays |
| FR2933380A1 (en) * | 2008-07-01 | 2010-01-08 | Airlessystems | METHOD FOR CONDITIONING FLUID PRODUCT IN A DISPENSER |
| WO2010001049A3 (en) * | 2008-07-01 | 2010-02-25 | Airlessystems | Method for conditioning a fluid product in a dispenser |
| US8726615B2 (en) | 2008-07-01 | 2014-05-20 | Aptar France Sas | Method for conditioning a fluid product in a dispenser |
Also Published As
| Publication number | Publication date |
|---|---|
| ES517643A0 (en) | 1983-08-16 |
| GB2110771B (en) | 1985-07-31 |
| ES8307537A1 (en) | 1983-08-16 |
| DE3243881A1 (en) | 1983-06-09 |
| AU9092582A (en) | 1983-06-09 |
| IT8224379A0 (en) | 1982-11-23 |
| IT1205619B (en) | 1989-03-23 |
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Legal Events
| Date | Code | Title | Description |
|---|---|---|---|
| PCNP | Patent ceased through non-payment of renewal fee |