Fluid dispensing device and methods

Abstract

A device for withdrawing a fluid from a reservoir and dispensing the withdrawn fluid. The device generally includes a body portion having an interior cavity for retaining the withdrawn fluid in the interior cavity; an inlet associated with the body for receiving the fluid into the interior cavity; and an outlet associated with the body for dispensing the fluid from the elongate body. The device also includes a piston slidably engaged within the interior cavity that actuates receiving the fluid from the reservoir and dispensing the fluid from the device preferably through interaction of a means, e.g., a spring, adapted for biasing the piston toward a first end of the body and at least one unidirectional valve associated with the piston.

1 . A liquid detergent dispensing device for receiving liquid detergent from a liquid detergent reservoir and dispensing the received liquid detergent, wherein the device comprises: 
 a body member comprising a top portion, a bottom portion, a face portion and an interior cavity defined by the top portion, bottom portion and face portion, and wherein the interior cavity comprises an upper portion and a lower portion;    an inlet for receiving liquid detergent from a liquid detergent reservoir to the interior cavity;    an inlet valve associated with the inlet for unidirectionally restricting the flow of the liquid detergent from the liquid detergent reservoir to the interior cavity;    an outlet for dispensing the received liquid detergent from the interior cavity;    a piston member, slidably disposed within the interior cavity, for actuating the receiving and dispensing of the liquid detergent, and wherein a position of the piston within the interior cavity defines a border between the upper portion and the lower portion of the interior cavity; and    a piston valve associated with the piston member for enabling fluidic communication between the upper portion and the lower portion of the interior cavity, and wherein the piston valve unidirectionally restricts the flow of the liquid detergent from the lower portion to the upper portion.    
   
   
       2 . The liquid detergent dispensing device of  claim 1  further comprising means adapted for biasing the piston member toward the top portion of the body member, wherein the means is disposed in the lower portion of the interior cavity.  
   
   
       3 . The liquid detergent dispensing device of  claim 2 , wherein the biasing means is a spring.  
   
   
       4 . The liquid detergent dispensing device of  claim 2  further comprising a piston handle, communicably associated through a piston rod with the piston member, for receiving user-generated force for sliding the piston member within the interior cavity.  
   
   
       5 . The liquid detergent dispensing device of  claim 4 , wherein the inlet is adapted to receive liquid detergent into the lower portion of the interior cavity, and wherein the outlet is adapted to dispense liquid detergent from the upper portion of the interior cavity.  
   
   
       6 . The liquid detergent dispensing device of  claim 5 , wherein movement of the piston member within the interior cavity is adapted to actuate receiving of the liquid detergent into the lower portion of the interior cavity.  
   
   
       7 . The liquid detergent dispensing device of  claim 6 , wherein movement of the piston member within the interior cavity is adapted to transfer the liquid detergent from the lower portion of the interior cavity through the piston valve to the upper portion of the interior cavity.  
   
   
       8 . The liquid detergent dispensing device of  claim 7 , wherein the biasing means applies a pressure onto the liquid detergent when the liquid detergent is present in the upper portion of the interior cavity.  
   
   
       9 . The liquid detergent dispensing device of  claim 8 , wherein the pressure applied onto the liquid detergent actuates the dispensing of the liquid detergent from the liquid detergent dispensing device through the outlet.  
   
   
       10 . The liquid detergent dispensing device of  claim 9  further comprising a release valve associated with the outlet for selectably maintaining the liquid detergent in the interior cavity under pressure generated by the biasing means.  
   
   
       11 . The liquid detergent dispensing device of  claim 10 , wherein the release valve comprises means adapted for selectably securing the release valve to the body member.  
   
   
       12 . The liquid detergent dispensing device of  claim 10  further comprising means adapted for selectably securing the device to the liquid detergent reservoir.  
   
   
       13 . The liquid detergent dispensing device of  claim 12 , wherein the means adapted for selectably securing the device to the liquid detergent reservoir is a threaded portion configured to secure to a fluid reservoir threaded portion.  
   
   
       14 . A liquid detergent dispensing device for receiving liquid detergent from a liquid detergent reservoir and dispensing the received liquid detergent, wherein the device comprises: 
 a body member comprising a top portion, a bottom portion, a face portion and an interior cavity defined by the top portion, bottom portion and face portion, and wherein the interior cavity comprises an upper portion and a lower portion;    an inlet for receiving liquid detergent from a liquid detergent reservoir to the interior cavity;    an inlet valve associated with the inlet for unidirectionally restricting the flow of the liquid detergent from the liquid detergent reservoir to the interior cavity;    an outlet for dispensing the received liquid detergent from the interior cavity;    a piston member, shidably disposed within the interior cavity, for actuating the receiving and dispensing of the liquid detergent, and wherein a position of the piston within the interior cavity defines a border between the upper portion and the lower portion of the interior cavity;    a piston valve associated with the piston member for enabling fluidic communication between the upper portion and the lower portion of the interior cavity, and wherein the piston valve unidirectionally restricts the flow of the liquid detergent from the lower portion to the upper portion; and    means adapted for biasing the piston member toward the top portion of the body member, wherein the biasing means is disposed in the lower portion of the interior cavity.    
   
   
       15 . The liquid detergent dispensing device of  claim 14 , wherein the inlet is adapted to receive liquid detergent into the lower portion of the interior cavity, and wherein the outlet is adapted to dispense liquid detergent from the upper portion of the interior cavity.  
   
   
       16 . The liquid detergent dispensing device of  claim 15 , wherein movement of the piston member within the interior cavity is adapted to actuate receiving of the liquid detergent into the lower portion of the interior cavity and to transfer the liquid detergent from the lower portion of the interior cavity through the piston valve to the upper portion of the interior cavity.  
   
   
       17 . The liquid detergent dispensing device of  claim 16 , wherein the biasing means applies a pressure onto the liquid detergent when the liquid detergent is present in the upper portion of the interior cavity, and wherein the pressure applied onto the liquid detergent actuates the dispensing of the liquid detergent from the liquid detergent dispensing device through the outlet.  
   
   
       18 . The liquid detergent dispensing device of  claim 17  further comprising a release valve associated with the outlet for selectably maintaining the liquid detergent in the interior cavity under pressure generated by the biasing means.  
   
   
       19 . The liquid detergent dispensing device of  claim 18 , wherein the release valve comprises means adapted for selectably securing the release valve to the body member.  
   
   
       20 . The liquid detergent dispensing device of  claim 19  further comprising means adapted for selectably securing the device to the liquid detergent reservoir.  
   
   
       21 . The liquid detergent dispensing device of  claim 20 , wherein the means adapted for selectably securing the device to the liquid detergent reservoir is a threaded portion configured to secure to a fluid reservoir threaded portion.  
   
   
       22 . The liquid detergent dispensing device of  claim 14 , wherein the biasing means is a spring.  
   
   
       23 . A liquid detergent dispensing device for receiving liquid detergent from a liquid detergent reservoir and dispensing the received liquid detergent, wherein the device comprises: 
 a body member comprising a top portion, a bottom portion, a face portion and an interior cavity defined by the top portion, bottom portion and face portion, and wherein the interior cavity comprises an upper portion and a lower portion;    an inlet for receiving liquid detergent from a liquid detergent reservoir into the lower portion of the interior cavity;    an inlet valve associated with the inlet for unidirectionally restricting the flow of the liquid detergent from the liquid detergent reservoir to the interior cavity;    an outlet for dispensing the received liquid detergent from the upper portion of the interior cavity;    a piston member, slidably disposed within the interior cavity, for actuating the receiving and dispensing of the liquid detergent, and wherein a position of the piston within the interior cavity defines a border between the upper portion and the lower portion of the interior cavity;    a piston valve associated with the piston member for enabling fluidic communication between the upper portion and the lower portion of the interior cavity, and wherein the piston valve unidirectionally restricts the flow of the liquid detergent from the lower portion to the upper portion; and    means adapted for biasing the piston member toward the top portion of the body member, wherein the means is disposed in the lower portion of the interior cavity;    wherein movement of the piston member within the interior cavity is adapted to actuate receiving of the liquid detergent into the lower portion of the interior cavity and to transfer the liquid detergent from the lower portion of the interior cavity through the piston valve to the upper portion of the interior cavity; and    wherein the biasing means applies a pressure onto the liquid detergent when the liquid detergent is present in the upper portion of the interior cavity, and wherein the pressure applied onto the liquid detergent actuates the dispensing of the liquid detergent from the liquid detergent dispensing device through the outlet.    
   
   
       24 . The liquid detergent dispensing device of  claim 23  further comprising a release valve associated with the outlet for selectably maintaining the liquid detergent in the interior cavity under pressure generated by the biasing means.  
   
   
       25 . The liquid detergent dispensing device of  claim 24 , wherein the release valve comprises means adapted for selectably securing the release valve to the body member.  
   
   
       26 . The liquid detergent dispensing device of  claim 25  further comprising means adapted for selectably securing the device to the liquid detergent reservoir.  
   
   
       27 . The liquid detergent dispensing device of  claim 25 , wherein the means adapted for selectably securing the device to the liquid detergent reservoir is a threaded portion configured to secure to a fluid reservoir threaded portion.  
   
   
       28 . The liquid detergent dispensing device of  claim 27 , wherein the biasing means is a spring.  
   
   
       29 . The liquid detergent dispensing device of  claim 27  further comprising means adapted for dispensing a predetermined volume of liquid detergent.