Pump dispensers

Abstract

A pump dispenser has a pump body and a reciprocable plunger with a lock-down mechanism, comprising internal or external lock formations of the plunger and body, such as thread formations, by which the plunger can be locked down for shipping and released subsequently by a rotational release movement. To supplement security for demanding shipping conditions the dispenser also has a supplementary catch mechanism in which respective catch formations of the plunger and body engage selectively in the locked-down position to inhibit the rotational release movement. The catch formations may have circumferentially-directed surfaces which engage between the underside of a plunger head having a shroud and a nozzle and the top of the body beneath the plunger head. They can be released by resilient deformation of one or more of the catch formations.

1 . A pump dispenser comprising a pump for dispensing fluid from a container to which the pump is attached, the pump comprising:
 a pump body defining a pump chamber and a plunger reciprocable relative to the pump body in a pumping stroke to alter the volume of the pump chamber;   a lock mechanism comprising respective lock formations of the plunger and body, the lock mechanism having a locked condition in which the plunger is locked against reciprocation and an unlocked condition in which the plunger can reciprocate for pumping, and in which a release movement of the lock mechanism from the locked condition comprises a relative rotation of the plunger and pump body around an axis of the plunger; and   a catch mechanism comprising respective catch formations of the plunger and body which are engageable selectively in the locked condition of the lock mechanism to prevent or inhibit the release movement thereof.   
     
     
         2 . The pump dispenser of  claim 1  in which the plunger has a stem and laterally-projecting head, and the respective catch formations are on the head of the plunger and an external part of the body. 
     
     
         3 . The pump dispenser of  claim 2  in which the plunger catch formation is radially outwardly of the stem. 
     
     
         4 . The pump dispenser of  claim 1  in which the lock mechanism comprises a threaded engagement between the plunger and the The pump body, the lock formations being screw thread portions. 
     
     
         5 . The pump dispenser of  claim 4  in which the thread portions constituting the lock formations are on a head of the plunger and a top portion of the pump body respectively. 
     
     
         6 . The pump dispenser of  claim 5  in which the lock formations are on a radially inwardly directed surface of the plunger head and a radially outwardly directed surface of the pump body respectively. 
     
     
         7 . The pump dispenser of  claim 1  in which the pump body has a top collar or boss with a top face directed towards an underside of a head of the plunger and a side face, the body lock formation being on the side face and one or more said body catch formations being on the top face. 
     
     
         8 . The pump dispenser of  claim 1  in which the lock mechanism is recessed inside the pump body. 
     
     
         9 . The pump dispenser of  claim 8  in which thread portions constituting the lock formations are on a stem of the plunger and a tubular insert portion of the pump body respectively. 
     
     
         10 . The pump dispenser of  claim 1  in which the lock mechanism is a lock-down mechanism whereof the locked condition is at a fully retracted position of the plunger. 
     
     
         11 . The pump dispenser of  claim 1  in which one of said catch formations of the catch mechanism is or comprises a projection on one of the plunger and pump body, having a circumferentially-directed abutment surface to make a catch engagement against a corresponding abutment surface of the other of the plunger and pump body to provide the engaged condition of the catch mechanism in the locked condition of the lock mechanism. 
     
     
         12 . The pump dispenser of  claim 11  in which said projection of the catch mechanism is resiliently deformable away from the engaged condition to release the catch mechanism. 
     
     
         13 . The pump dispenser of  claim 11  in which said projection of the catch mechanism is movable in the radial or axial direction to release the catch mechanism. 
     
     
         14 . The pump dispenser of  claim 11  in which said circumferentially-directed abutment surface is inclined so that release of the catch mechanism requires application of at least a threshold turning force between the plunger and pump body around the plunger axis. 
     
     
         15 . The pump dispenser of  claim 1  in which one or both of the catch formations has a slider, ramp or cam formation over which the other catch formation rides as they rotate towards engagement, with deformation of one or both of the catch formations against a resilient force, until oppositely directed abutment surfaces of the catch formations come into register and the deformation is relaxed on making the engagement. 
     
     
         16 . The pump dispenser of  claim 1  in which one or both of the body and the plunger has plural catch formations distributed circumferentially. 
     
     
         17 . The pump dispenser of  claim 16  in which each of the body and the plunger has plural catch formations distributed circumferentially, each plunger catch formation having a corresponding body catch formation engageable therewith. 
     
     
         18 . The pump dispenser of  claim 17  in which the plural catch formations include primary catch formations and secondary catch formations, the secondary catch formations coming into engagement only after the primary catch formations have been overridden by turning of the plunger relative to the body. 
     
     
         19 . The pump dispenser of  claim 1  in which a plunger catch formation is, or is on, a radially-extending edge of a radially-extending web of a head of the plunger. 
     
     
         20 . The pump dispenser of  claim 1  in which a plunger catch formation is, or is on, an axially-extending edge of a radially-extending web of a head of the plunger. 
     
     
         21 . The pump dispenser of  claim 19  in which said radially-extending web of the plunger head is a reinforcing web beneath an outer shroud component of the plunger head. 
     
     
         22 . The pump dispenser of  claim 1  in which said movable projection has an inner portion having the circumferentially-directed abutment surface, movable in the axial direction to release the catch mechanism, and an outer portion comprising an actuation tab for finger pressure to move the inner portion. 
     
     
         23 . The pump dispenser of  claim 22  in which the inner portion of the movable projection extends generally radially and the outer portion with the actuation tab extends generally transversely to it, with a bend of the movable projection between the inner portion and the actuation tab. 
     
     
         24 . The pump dispenser of  claim 23  in which the pump body has a top surface and a side surface, preferably on a top body cap thereof, the inner portion of the movable projection extending out over the top surface and the outer portion with the actuation tab extending down the side surface, with a spacing from the body cap surface whereby inward pressing of the actuation tab moves the inner portion. 
     
     
         25 . The pump dispenser of  claim 11  in which the projection projects as a cantilever from the pump body, and is movable in that it is resiliently bendable. 
     
     
         26 . The pump dispenser of  claim 11  in which said projection of the catch mechanism is a projection at the underside of a head of the plunger, engageable with a catch formation at the top exterior of the pump body, or a projection at the top exterior of the pump body, engageable with a catch formation at the underside of a head of the plunger. 
     
     
         27 . The pump dispenser of  claim 11  in which the plunger comprises a nozzle projecting generally radially to one side of the plunger axis, and said catch formations lie underneath the nozzle on that side of the plunger axis in the engaged condition of the catch mechanism. 
     
     
         28 . The pump dispenser of  claim 11  in which the movable projection is a flexible or foldable tab on the pump body, engageable in or through an opening of the plunger such as through a shroud part of a head of the plunger. 
     
     
         29 . A pump dispenser comprising a pump for dispensing fluid from a container to which the pump is attached, the pump comprising:
 a pump body defining a pump chamber;   a plunger having a stem and a head and being reciprocable relative to the pump body in a pumping stroke;   a catch mechanism comprising respective catch formations of the plunger and body which are engageable to prevent or inhibit a relative rotation of the plunger and pump body around an axis of the plunger; and   wherein a said catch formation of the plunger head comprises a radially-extending element having a circumferentially-directed abutment surface, and a said catch formation on the pump body has a corresponding oppositely circumferentially-directed abutment surface and a ramp formation over which the plunger head catch formation rides as they rotate towards engagement, with deformation of one or both of the catch formations against a resilient force, until the oppositely-directed abutment surfaces of the catch formations come into circumferential register and the deformation is relaxed on making the engagement.   
     
     
         30 . The pump dispenser of  claim 29  in which a said plunger head catch formation is, or is on, a radially-extending edge or an axially-extending edge of a radially-extending web of the plunger head. 
     
     
         31 . The pump dispenser of  claim 30  in which said radially-extending web of the plunger head is a reinforcing web beneath an outer shroud component of the plunger head. 
     
     
         32 . The pump dispenser of  claim 29  in which one or both of the pump body and the plunger head has plural catch formations distributed circumferentially. 
     
     
         33 . The pump dispenser of  claim 29  in which each of the pump body and the plunger head has plural catch formations distributed circumferentially, each plunger head catch formation having a corresponding body catch formation engageable therewith. 
     
     
         34 . The pump dispenser of  claim 29  in which the pump body has a top collar or boss with a top face directed towards an underside of the plunger head, and one or more said pump body catch formations is/are on said top face with said ramp formation sloping upwardly. 
     
     
         35 . The pump dispenser of  claim 29  in which the pump body has a top collar or boss with a central lip having a side face directed radially outwardly and one or more said pump body catch formations is/are on said side face with said ramp formation sloping radially outwardly. 
     
     
         36 . The pump dispenser of  claim 29  in which the plunger comprises a piston which is axially slidable on the plunger stem between open and closed positions to act as an outlet valve. 
     
     
         37 . A pump dispenser comprising a pump for dispensing fluid from a container to which the pump is attached, the pump comprising:
 a pump body defining a pump chamber;   a plunger having a stem and a head and being reciprocable relative to the pump body in a pumping stroke;   a catch mechanism comprising respective catch formations of the plunger and body which are engageable to prevent or inhibit a relative rotation of the plunger and pump body around an axis of the plunger; and   wherein a first said catch formation of the catch mechanism comprises a movable element on one of the plunger head and pump body, having a first circumferentially-directed abutment surface, and the catch formation on the other of the plunger head and pump body has a corresponding oppositely circumferentially-directed abutment surface, said abutment surfaces being engageable to make a catch engagement to provide the engaged condition of the catch mechanism, and the catch engagement being releasable by movement of the movable element against a resilient force to move said abutment surfaces out of engagement.   
     
     
         38 . The pump dispenser of  claim 37  in which the movable element is a resiliently-bendable cantilever projection from the pump body, comprising an inner portion having the first circumferentially-directed abutment surface, and an outer portion comprising an actuation tab for finger pressure to move the inner portion. 
     
     
         39 . The pump dispenser of  claim 38  in which the pump body has a top surface and a side surface on a top body cap thereof, the inner portion of the movable element extends out over the top surface, and the outer portion with the actuation tab extends down the side surface, at a spacing from the body cap surface whereby inward pressing of the actuation tab moves the inner portion down to release the catch engagement. 
     
     
         40 . The pump dispenser of  claim 37  in which one or both of the catch formations comprises a slider, ramp or cam formation over which the other catch formation rides as they rotate towards engagement, with deformation of one or both of the catch formations against a resilient force, until oppositely directed abutment surfaces of the formations come into register to make the catch engagement and the deformation relaxes. 
     
     
         41 . A pump dispenser comprising a pump for dispensing fluid from a container to which the pump is attached, the pump comprising:
 a pump body defining a pump chamber, the pump body having a top surface and a side surface;   a plunger having a head and being reciprocable relative to the pump body in a pumping stroke;   a lock mechanism for the plunger;   a catch mechanism to prevent relative rotation of the plunger and pump body around an axis of the plunger when locked; and   wherein the catch mechanism comprises a movable element on one of the plunger and pump body and a corresponding abutment shoulder on the other of the plunger and pump body, the movable element and abutment shoulder being engageable to make a catch engagement, said movable element having a radially inner portion to engage the abutment shoulder and a radially outer portion comprising an actuation tab for finger pressure, the inner portion of the movable element extending out over the top surface of the pump body, and the radially outer portion with the actuation tab extending down the side surface of the pump body and at a spacing from the body surface, whereby inward pressing of the actuation tab moves the inner portion to release the engagement.   
     
     
         42 . The pump dispenser of  claim 41  in which said other of plunger and pump body comprises a slider, ramp or cam formation adjacent said abutment shoulder over which the movable element rides as they rotate towards engagement, with deformation of the movable element against its own resilience, until the abutment shoulder comes into register to make the catch engagement and the deformation relaxes. 
     
     
         43 . The pump dispenser of  claim 41  in which the plunger head comprises a nozzle projecting out to one side of the plunger axis, and said catch engagement is under the nozzle.