Pumps for fluid dispensers

Abstract

The invention herein relates to pumps and valving arrangements for fluid dispensers. The invention further relates to dispensers incorporating a pump. The pumps herein comprise a dose chamber, a resilient actuator, valves for controlling the flow of fluid into and out of the dose chamber and the upper and lower pump halves each formed from unitary mouldings, at least the upper pump half comprising a semirigid, thermoplastic material. The pumps are easily made via injection moulding from a small number of parts. Combination of the pump with a fluid reservoir provides a fluid dispenser which may further comprise an atomiser for forming a spray as fluid is ejected from a dispenser outlet. Methods of making the pump and valving arrangements are also provided by the invention.

1 . A pump for a fluid dispenser comprising: 
 a) an upper pump half comprising an upper inlet port wall and an upper outlet port wall;    b) a lower pump half engaging with the upper pump half and comprising a lower inlet port wall and a lower outlet port wall, wherein the upper inlet port wall engages with the lower inlet port wall to define a pump inlet port permitting fluid communication from a fluid source into the pump and the upper outlet port wall engages with the lower outlet port wall to define a pump outlet port permitting fluid flow out of the pump;    c) a resilient actuator connected to the upper pump half;    d) an inlet valve associated with the pump inlet port for controlling fluid flow through the pump inlet port; and    e) an outlet valve associated with the pump outlet port for controlling fluid flow through the pump outlet port;    f) a dose chamber at least partially bounded by the resilient actuator, for containing a single dose prior to delivery from the dispenser;    whereby depression of the resilient actuator is effective to dispense the dose of fluid through the pump outlet port, and wherein the upper and lower pump halves are formed from unitary mouldings and at least the upper pump half comprises a semirigid, thermoplastic material.    
     
     
         2 . The pump according to  claim 1  wherein the dose chamber is bounded by a lower dose chamber wall so arranged that it limits the movement of the resilient actuator, thereby at least partially defining a metered dose.  
     
     
         3 . The pump according to  claim 1  wherein the lower pump half is formed from a unitary moulding comprising a semirigid, thermoplastic material.  
     
     
         4 . The pump according to  claim 1  wherein one or more of the inlet and outlet valves is made from an elastomeric material having a Shore A hardness of from 5 to 90.  
     
     
         5 . The pump according to  claim 4  wherein one or more of the inlet and outlet valves is integrally moulded with either the upper or lower pump half.  
     
     
         6 . The pump according to  claim 1  wherein one or more of the inlet and outlet valves is integrally moulded with either the upper or lower pump half from the semirigid, thermoplastic material.  
     
     
         7 . The pump according to  claim 1  wherein at least one of the upper and lower pump halves is thermoformed.  
     
     
         8 . The pump according to  claim 1  wherein at least one of the upper and lower pump halves is compression moulded.  
     
     
         9 . The pump according to  claim 1  wherein the resilient actuator is integrally moulded with the upper pump half.  
     
     
         10 . The pump according to  claim 1  wherein the resilient actuator comprises a monostable element.  
     
     
         11 . The pump according to  claim 1  wherein the pump is co-moulded with a weld spout for attachment to a flexible sachet.  
     
     
         12 . The pump according to  claim 1  wherein the semirigid, thermoplastic material is selected from the group consisting of polypropylene, polyethylene, polyethylene terephthalate (PET), polyesters, polycarbonates, polyamides, polystyrenes and blends thereof, preferably from polypropylene, polyethylene and polyethylene terephthalate.  
     
     
         13 . A method of making a pump for a fluid dispenser, the pump comprising an upper pump half comprising a semirigid, thermoplastic material, a lower pump half, a dose chamber, a resilient actuator, a pump inlet port, a pump outlet port, an inlet valve and an outlet valve, the method comprising the steps of: 
 a) forming the upper pump half in a unitary moulding comprising the resilient actuator, an upper inlet port wall and an upper outlet port wall;    b) forming the lower pump half in a unitary moulding comprising a lower inlet port wall, a lower outlet port wall and a lower dose chamber wall; and    c) fixing the upper pump half onto the lower pump half so that the resilient actuator and the lower dose chamber wall bound the dose chamber, the upper inlet port wall engages with the lower inlet port wall to define a pump inlet port permitting fluid communication from a fluid source into the pump and the upper outlet port wall engages with the lower outlet port wall to define a pump outlet port permitting fluid flow out of the pump.    
     
     
         14 . The method according to  claim 13  further including the step of attaching the inlet valve and the outlet valve to either the upper pump half or the lower pump half, before the upper pump half is fixed to the lower pump half, the inlet and outlet valves being made of an elastomeric material.  
     
     
         15 . The method according to  claim 13  wherein the inlet valve and the outlet valve are formed with either the upper pump half or the lower pump half in a unitary moulding.  
     
     
         16 . The method according to any of  claim 13  wherein the upper and lower pump halves are formed by injection moulding.  
     
     
         17 . A method of making a pump, for a fluid dispenser, the pump comprising an upper pump half comprising a semirigid, thermoplastic material, a lower pump half, a dose chamber, a resilient actuator, a pump inlet port, a pump outlet port, an inlet valve and an outlet valve, the method comprising the steps of: 
 a) forming the upper pump half in a unitary moulding comprising an upper inlet port wall and an upper outlet port wall;    b) forming the lower pump half in a unitary moulding comprising a lower inlet port wall and a lower outlet port wall;    c) fixing the upper pump half onto the lower pump half so that the upper inlet port wall engages with the lower inlet port wall to define a pump inlet port permitting fluid communication from a fluid source into the pump and the upper outlet port wall engages with the lower outlet port wall to define a pump outlet port permitting fluid flow out of the pump; and    d) attaching a resilient actuator to the upper pump half so that the resilient actuator bounds the dose chamber.    
     
     
         18 . The method according to  claim 17  further including the step of attaching the inlet valve and the outlet valve to either the upper pump half or the lower pump half, before the upper pump half is fixed to the lower pump half, the inlet and outlet valves being made of an elastomeric material.  
     
     
         19 . The method according to  claim 17  wherein the inlet valve and the outlet valve are formed with either the upper pump half or the lower pump half in a unitary moulding.  
     
     
         20 . The method according to any of claims  17  wherein the upper and lower pump halves are formed by injection moulding.  
     
     
         21 . The method according to  claim 17  wherein the inlet and outlet valves are formed by injection moulding.  
     
     
         22 . A dispenser comprising a pump according to  claim 1  and a fluid reservoir in fluid communication with the pump inlet port, whereby the fluid reservoir acts as the fluid source.  
     
     
         23 . The dispenser according to  claim 22  wherein the fluid reservoir comprises upper and lower halves respectively integrally moulded with the upper and lower pump halves.  
     
     
         24 . The dispenser according to  claim 22  wherein the pump is internal to the fluid reservoir.  
     
     
         25 . A dispenser according to  claim 22  further comprising an atomiser in fluid communication with the pump outlet port.  
     
     
         26 . The dispenser according to  claim 25  wherein the atomising nozzle is formed from upper and lower halves respectively integrally moulded with the upper and lower halves of the pump.  
     
     
         27 . The dispenser according to  claim 22  further comprising an applicator suitable for spreading the fluid onto a substrate.  
     
     
         28 . The dispenser according to  claim 27  wherein the applicator comprises spreading means selected from a brush head, an elastomeric wiping blade and a disposable cloth.  
     
     
         29 . The dispenser according to  claim 24  comprising a reservoir flow path which has an outlet end, through which fluid is dispensed from the dispenser and an inlet end through which fluid is drawn from the reservoir, the flow path being isolated from the reservoir along its length except at its inlet end, and having a length from its outlet end to its inlet end of at least 90%, preferably at least 95% of the length of the dispenser.  
     
     
         30 . A valve module for a pump for a fluid dispenser comprising: 
 a) an upper pump half including an upper inlet port wall, an upper outlet port wall and a flow channel providing fluid communication between upper and lower surfaces of the upper pump half;    b) a lower pump half engaging with the upper pump half and including a lower inlet port wall, a lower outlet port wall and a lower dose chamber wall wherein the upper inlet port wall engages with the lower inlet port wall to define a pump inlet port permitting fluid communication from a fluid source into the pump and the upper outlet port wall engages with the lower outlet port wall to define a pump outlet port permitting fluid flow out of the pump; and    c) an inlet valve and an outlet valve for controlling fluid flow through the pump inlet and outlet ports respectively;    wherein the valve module comprises an alignment means selected from positioning lugs, indents, a non-circular external wall section and combinations thereof to enable the valve module to be received in the fluid dispenser in a fixed orientation.    
     
     
         31 . The valve module of  claim 30  wherein the lower dose chamber wall is provided by the upper surface of the upper pump half.  
     
     
         32 . The valve module of  claim 30  wherein the lower dose chamber wall is bounded by a raised boundary wall for receiving an actuator or interacting with the fluid dispenser.  
     
     
         33 . The valve module of claims  30  wherein the inlet and outlet valves are attached to the lower surface of the upper pump half.  
     
     
         34 . The valve module of  claim 30  wherein the inlet and outlet valves are respectively located upstream and downstream of the flow channel providing fluid communication between upper and lower surfaces of the upper pump half.  
     
     
         35 . A valving arrangement, suitable for use in a pump dispenser, comprising a flow channel having semirigid upper and lower walls, a fluid inlet through which fluid enters the arrangement from a fluid supply and a fluid outlet through which the fluid exits the valving arrangement, the flow channel further comprising inlet and outlet elastomeric, flap valves, mounted inside the flow channel, each valve having a surface immovably fixed to the upper flow channel wall and a flap sealingly compressed against the lower flow channel wall, whereby each valve prevents flow of fluid along the flow channel until a positive fluid pressure differential on an upstream side of the flap of the valve causes the flap to lift thereby allowing fluid to flow past the valve, the valves permitting fluid flow in the same direction along the flow channel whereby an increase in fluid pressure in a section of flow channel between the two valves causes the outlet valve to open and the inlet valve to remain closed and a reduction in fluid pressure in the section of flow channel between the two valves causes the inlet valve to open and the outlet valve to remain closed.  
     
     
         36 . The valving arrangement of  claim 35  wherein the flow channel comprises at least one sealing ridge, formed on the lower flow channel wall, against which the valve flap of one of the valves is compressed.