DE29920874U1 - Dispensing device for a particularly flexible container and a set formed therefrom for dispensing liquid or pasty medium - Google Patents

Description

PATENT ATTORNEYS .··.." .: .: ·· ··

FUCHS MEHLER.SV^ieS.i& PRITZSCHE WIESBADEN - MUNICH-ALICANTE

BAR 8367/Iu

Dispensing device for a particularly flexible container and

a set made from it for dispensing liquid or pasty

medium

European Patent Attorneys European Trademark Attorneys

Office Munich

Dr. Thomas M. Fritzsche Dipl.-Chem. and Biologist

Naupliastrasse 110 D-81545 Munich

Telephone: 089/5 23 17 09 Fax: 089/52 24 05

e-mail: fuchs-pat@t-online.de

Dr. Ing. Jürgen H. Fuchs

Dipl.-Ing., B. Com. Dr. rer.nat. Klaus Mehler

Dipl.-Phys. Dipl.-Ing. Christian Weiß

Dipl.-Ing. Kurt Müller Dipl.-Phys. Werner Witzel

Abraham-Lincoln-Strasse 7 D-65189 Wiesbaden

PO Box 46 60

D-65036 Wiesbaden Telephone: 0611/71 42-0 Fax: 0611/71 42-20

e-mail: fuchs-pat@t-online.de

Paseo Explanada de Espafta No. 3.5-dcha

ES-03002 Alicante Telephone: +34/96/5 20 01 34 Fax: +34/96/5 20 02 48

Thomas C. Barnickel
Ebereschenweg 11
D-27299 Langwedel
EN

VAT ID No./VAT REG No. DE 113895983

Postbank Munich Account 2403 67-806 (bank code 700 100 80)

Volksbank Freudenstadt Account 268 360 09

{Bank code 642 910 10)

BAR 8367 TU/Iu

Thomas C. Barnickel

Scraping device' for a particularly flexible container and a set made therefrom for dispensing liquid or oat medium

Description

The invention relates to a dispensing device for dispensing liquid or pasty medium from a container.

A large number of different dispensing devices are known in the prior art. For example, (body) cleaning agents in the medical field or household cleaning agents are available in bottle-like plastic containers onto which spray valves or metering pumps are screwed, via which the respective cleaning agent in the container can be dispensed. The bottle-like containers containing the respective cleaning agent are made in the form of relatively expensive, dimensionally stable hollow plastic bodies, for example made of polyethylene HD, the production costs of which are noticeably reflected in the final price of the cleaning agent. In the area of the interface between the hollow plastic body and the dispensing device, the hollow plastic bodies are usually shaped like handles in order to enable ergonomic operation of the dispensing device. After the contents of the container had been used up, the container and dispensing device were disposed of, which led to an increased volume of waste and severe environmental pollution.

In order to avoid this, solutions have already been considered in the past in which a set consisting of a dispensing device and a dimensionally stable plastic hollow body is used as an "initial

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equipment", filled with the respective cleaning agent, and as a supplement to this, refill portions of cleaning agent filled in inexpensive, flexible refill bags made of thin-walled plastic film material were offered. As soon as the cleaning agent contained in the "initial equipment" was used up, the dispensing device could be unscrewed from the dimensionally stable plastic hollow body and a refill portion from such a plastic bag could be filled into the dimensionally stable plastic hollow body. After screwing the dispensing device back onto the dimensionally stable plastic hollow body, the set consisting of the dispensing device and the plastic hollow body could continue to be used. The emptied refill bag could then be disposed of, reducing the volume of waste generated.

However, it has been shown that the offer of refill bags in combination with a one-time purchase of an "initial set" consisting of a dispenser and a dimensionally stable hollow plastic body is only accepted to a limited extent by consumers and that "initial sets" consisting of a dispenser and a dimensionally stable hollow plastic body are still mainly purchased and disposed of after one-time use. This is due on the one hand to the fact that the refilling process, i.e. filling a refill quantity of cleaning agent into the previously emptied dimensionally stable container, is relatively cumbersome and on the other hand that the consumer is not prepared to use the dimensionally stable plastic container several times as its external appearance quickly deteriorates during use due to dirt and wear.

It is therefore an object of the present invention to provide a dispensing device with which the volume of waste generated can be reduced.

This object is achieved by a dispensing device for dispensing liquid or pasty medium from a separate container, the dispensing device comprising:

- Fastening means for detachably attaching the dispensing device to an access opening of the container containing the liquid or pasty medium, provided with corresponding counter-fastening means,

- a manually operable handle, the operation of which causes a liquid or pasty medium to be dispensed via the dispensing device, and, if applicable,

- a gripping area close to the handle, designed to be easy to grasp, to ensure a secure hold of the dispensing device during manual operation of the handle.

Compared to the prior art described above, in which the ergonomically designed (easy to grip) handle area was formed on the dimensionally stable plastic hollow body and thus a combination of dispensing device and dimensionally stable plastic hollow body was necessary for functional use, in a dispensing device designed according to the invention, which comprises all the components required for functional and ergonomic use of the dispensing device, the separate container containing the liquid or pasty medium can be designed favorably in terms of its environmental impact properties, i.e. from the thinnest possible wall, easily disposable or recyclable material and in a form which takes up the smallest possible volume when empty.

Such a container can be attached directly to the dispensing device using its counter-fastening means

and can be exchanged in an empty state for a full replacement container containing a refill portion by simply loosening the fastening means and the counter-fastening means of the emptied container and reassembling the fastening means and the counter-fastening means of the new container. A laborious process of transferring from a refill pack into a dimensionally stable hollow plastic body, which is part of the initial equipment and is absolutely necessary for ergonomic use, is no longer necessary. According to the invention, it is instead possible to offer only the dispensing device in conjunction with a corresponding environmentally friendly container as initial equipment.

The dispensing device can comprise a pump mechanism that can be operated via the handle for conveying and dispensing the liquid or pasty medium. This pump mechanism can be designed as a portion valve ("dispenser") or as a spray valve, depending on the viscosity properties of the medium contained in the container. It can advantageously be provided that the pump mechanism is designed to dispense a predetermined volume of liquid or pasty medium. Such a dosage ensures that excessive consumption of liquid or pasty medium is avoided, thus preventing unnecessary environmental pollution. Furthermore, when using a dispensing device according to the invention for medical purposes, it is conceivable that such a dosage is necessary to avoid overdoses.

A simple design of the interface between the container and the dispensing device is achieved when the fastening means comprise a thread, preferably an internal thread, and when the counter-fastening means comprise a corresponding thread, preferably a corresponding external thread. With such a design,

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Simply screw the dispensing device onto the container.

In a further development of the invention, sealing means can be provided in the area of the fastening means and/or in the area of the counter-fastening means. This makes it possible to produce a tight connection between the parts to be connected.

In a further development of the invention, the dispensing device can also be constructed modularly instead of as a coherent assembly, i.e. in detail, the dispensing device can comprise a head part having the handle and a handle part which is formed separately from this head part and can be detachably connected to it via intermediate fastening means and has the gripping area. Such a design makes it easier to manufacture the dispensing device, since the head part, which usually has a pump mechanism, can be manufactured first and then assembled with the handle part, which requires other manufacturing steps, via the intermediate fastening means. The fastening means already mentioned above can then be provided in the handle part, which can be brought into engagement with the counter fastening means on the container.

A simplified design of the dispensing device is obtained when the intermediate fastening means are formed by threaded bodies corresponding to the fastening means and the counter-fastening means in terms of diameter and pitch. This basically also makes it possible to place the head part alone - without the handle part - on the container, but this results in a head part-container set with less ergonomics. A further advantage of a dispensing device assembled according to the invention is that conventional head parts according to the state of the art

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Technology (with pump mechanism) within the scope of the invention, if necessary after prior combination with a handle part, can be used together with appropriate environmentally friendly containers.

Of course, sealing means can also be provided in the area of the intermediate fastening means to enable a tight connection between the head part and the handle part.

A particularly ergonomic shape is obtained when the gripping area has at least a first contact surface, which is designed essentially according to the contour of a palm of a gripping hand that is gripping the dispensing device, and a second contact surface, which is arranged on a side of the dispensing device opposite to the first contact surface, wherein the second contact surface has at least one finger recess for receiving at least one finger of the gripping hand that is gripping the dispensing device.

With regard to the design of the head part and the handle part, it can further be provided that the second contact surface and the handle are positioned on one side of the dispensing device relative to one another in such a way that the handle can be actuated by the index finger of the hand grasping the dispensing device, wherein the palm of the gripping hand rests on the first contact surface and wherein at least one of the remaining fingers of the gripping hand rests on the second contact surface, preferably in the at least one finger recess.

The invention further relates to a container for holding liquid or pasty medium and for attachment to a dispensing device, in particular a dispensing device of the type described above, the container comprising:

- a bag defining a receiving space for receiving liquid or pasty medium and

- counter-fastening means provided on the receiving bag for detachable attachment to corresponding fastening means of the dispensing device, wherein the receiving space is accessible via an access opening located in the region of the counter-fastening means.

Such a receiving bag with corresponding counter-fastening means can be produced at significantly lower costs than the dimensionally stable hollow plastic bodies required in the prior art, which is also reflected in a cheaper purchase price for the initial equipment according to the invention. Furthermore, such a receiving bag has the advantage of a smaller volume of waste and is therefore more environmentally friendly.

In order to facilitate the storage of such a container and to ensure sufficient stability in a combination of container and dispensing device according to the invention, it can be provided that the receiving bag has a standing base in its area remote from the access opening, so-called stand-up bag.

A cost-effective design of the counter-fastening means that can be produced with little effort is obtained, for example, if they comprise a pipe socket provided with an external thread that defines the access opening.

As already indicated above, the receiving bag can be made of a flexible thin-walled material, preferably of a plastic film material such as PE or PET. In many cases, composite materials made of plastic films and aluminum-laminated paper have proven to be suitable.

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proven to be useful. The receiving bag can be reinforced in the area of the counter-fastening means with a rigid engagement element, whereby the engagement element facilitates the screwing of the fastening means and the counter-fastening means. The engagement element can be connected in one piece to the counter-fastening means.

A container designed in this way can be manufactured easily with little technical effort and with little use of costs and materials. It is light in weight and has a small volume when empty, so that it has clear advantages over the dimensionally stable hollow plastic bottles known from the state of the art in terms of storage, transport and disposal.

The invention further relates to a set comprising a dispensing device, in particular of the type described above, and a container connectable or connected to this dispensing device, in particular of the type described above.

After emptying the container, with such a set the container can be separated from the dispensing device by loosening the connection between the fastening means and the counter-fastening means and the emptied container can be replaced with another (refill) container filled with a pasty or liquid medium.

The invention is described below using a preferred embodiment with reference to the accompanying drawings. They show:

Fig.l is a side view of a dispensing device according to the invention;

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Fig. 2 is a rear view of the dispensing device according to the invention from Fig. 1;

Fig. 3 is a side view of a container according to the invention; and

Fig. 4 is a sectional view of the container according to the invention along the section line IV - IV of Fig. 3.

In Fig. 1 and 2, a dispensing device according to the invention is generally designated 10. The dispensing device 10 comprises a head part 12 and a handle part 14. An internally threaded sleeve 16 is attached to the head part 12 so that it can rotate relative to the head part 12 and is in mutual threaded engagement with an externally threaded pipe socket 18 on the handle part. Due to the mutual close contact between the internally threaded sleeve 16 and the externally threaded pipe socket 18 in an end face region 20 of the externally threaded pipe socket 18, the head part 12 is sealingly connected to the handle part 14. The head part 12 also comprises a dispensing nozzle 22 and a handle 26 which can be pivoted about a pivot bearing 24 and which is spring-loaded in a manner not shown into the position shown in Fig. and by means of which a pump mechanism (not shown in detail) accommodated in the head part 12 can be actuated. A suction pipe 28 extends downwards in Fig. 1 from the pump mechanism, the function of which will be explained in more detail below.

The handle part 14 comprises, starting from the externally threaded pipe socket 18, a dimensionally stable plastic hollow body 30, on the right-hand side of which in Figure 1 a contact surface 32 is formed. The contact surface 32 is formed according to the contour of a palm (not shown) of a gripping hand that rests against it and grasps the handle part 14. On the side opposite the contact surface 32 (left) in Figure 1, a second contact surface 34 is provided, which is designed like a handle.

has alternating finger receiving recesses 36 and retaining beads 38. The middle finger, ring finger and little finger of a hand grasping the handle part 14 can be inserted into the finger receiving recesses 36 between the retaining beads 38 (viewed from top to bottom in Fig. 1), so that a secure and ergonomic hold of the handle part 14 in the hand grasping it is ensured. The index finger can rest on a pressure application surface 40 of the handle 26. To actuate the dispensing device 10 in such a state, the handle 26 is pulled against the spring preload towards the internally threaded sleeve 16 by means of the index finger, as shown in Fig. 1 by arrow A, which actuates the pump mechanism (not shown in detail).

A container 42, shown only partially in dashed lines in Fig. 1 and 2, is attached to the handle part 14 at its end remote from the head part, via a further externally threaded pipe socket 44 attached to the head side of the container 42, which corresponds in its design to the externally threaded pipe socket 18 and which engages in an internal thread 46 in the handle part 14. It should be noted that the thread dimensions of the external thread on the pipe socket 44 and the internal thread 46 are the same as the thread measurements on the internally threaded sleeve 16 and on the externally threaded pipe socket 18.

The container 42 is filled with a liquid or pasty medium to be dispensed via the dispensing device 10, which can be sucked in via the pump device upon actuation of the handle 26, as described above, by means of the suction pipe 28 and dispensed via the nozzle 22.

The container 42 is shown in detail in Fig. 3 and 4 and is designed as follows. Two in their

measurements identical plastic films 48 and 50, for example made of polyethylene, are welded or glued to one another in a sealing manner at their lateral edge regions 52 and 54. In the upper region, an insert 56 having the externally threaded pipe socket 44 is welded in a sealing manner between the two films 48 and 50. A through-opening 58 (limited by the pipe inner surface 60 shown in dashed lines in Fig. 3) is formed in the insert 56, which through-opening 58 ensures access to the cavity 62 formed between the plastic films 48 and 50. On the side of the container 42 remote from the insert, an additional film section 64 is welded in, as shown in Fig. 4, which is welded in the dotted region 66 shown in Fig. 3 at an arc-shaped, variable height across the width B of the lower part of the container 42. The film section 64 is designed such that when the container 42 is completely empty it is folded together in its central region 68 and in doing so forms a fold line 70 shown in dashed lines in Fig. 1. When the container is filled with medium, the container 42 takes on a bulbous shape so that the two plastic films 48 and 50 move apart as shown in Fig. 4 and the film section 64 is moved from its folded configuration into the configuration shown in Fig. 4.

The through opening 58 in the externally threaded pipe socket 44 forms the only access to the container interior 62, so that after insertion of the suction pipe 28 and assembly of the container 42 and the dispensing device shown in Figs. 1 and 2, a reliable dispensing of the medium from the container 42 via the dispensing device 10 can take place.

It should also be noted that the insert 56 reinforces the bag-like container 42 in its upper region in Fig. 3 in such a way that screwing in the externally threaded pipe socket

zens 44 into a corresponding internal thread 46 or 16 is facilitated. * * *

Claims (15)

1. Dispensing device ( 10 ) for dispensing liquid or pasty medium from a container ( 42 ), the dispensing device ( 10 ) comprising: 1. Fastening means ( 46 ) for detachably attaching the dispensing device ( 10 ) to an access opening ( 58 ) of the container ( 42 ) containing the liquid or pasty medium, said access opening (58) being provided with corresponding counter-fastening means ( 44 ), 2. a manually operable handle ( 26 ), the actuation of which causes a dispensing of liquid or pasty medium via the dispensing device ( 10 ), and 3. a gripping area ( 32 , 34 ) close to the handle ( 26 ) and designed to be easy to grip in order to ensure a secure hold of the dispensing device ( 10 ) during manual actuation of the handle ( 26 ). 2. Dispensing device according to claim 1, characterized by a pump mechanism operable via the handle ( 26 ) for conveying and dispensing the liquid and/or pasty medium from the container ( 42 ). 3. Dispensing device according to claim 2, characterized in that the pump mechanism is designed to dispense a predetermined volume of liquid or pasty medium. 4. Dispensing device according to one of claims 1-3, characterized in that the fastening means ( 46 ) comprise a thread, preferably an internal thread, and that the counter-fastening means ( 44 ) comprise a corresponding thread, preferably a corresponding external thread. 5. Dispensing device according to one of claims 1-4, characterized by a head part ( 12 ) having the handle ( 26 ) and a handle part ( 14 ) which is formed separately from the head part ( 12 ), can be detachably connected to the head part via intermediate fastening means ( 16 , 18 ) and has the grip region ( 32 , 34 ). 6. Dispensing device according to claim 5, characterized in that the intermediate fastening means ( 16 , 18 ) are formed by threaded bodies corresponding to the fastening means ( 46 ) and the counter-fastening means ( 44 ) in terms of diameter and pitch. 7. Dispensing device according to one of the preceding claims, characterized in that the gripping area ( 32 , 34 ) has at least one first contact surface ( 32 ) which is designed essentially according to the contour of a palm of a gripping hand grasping the dispensing device ( 10 ) resting against it, and has a second contact surface ( 34 ) which is arranged on a side of the dispensing device ( 10 ) opposite to the first contact surface ( 32 ) and which has at least one finger recess ( 36 ) for receiving at least one finger of the gripping hand grasping the dispensing device ( 10 ). 8. Dispensing device according to claim 7, characterized in that the second contact surface ( 34 ) and the handle ( 26 ) on one side of the dispensing device ( 10 ) are positioned relative to one another in such a way that the handle ( 26 ) can be actuated by the index finger of the gripping hand grasping the dispensing device ( 10 ), wherein the palm of the gripping hand rests on the first contact surface ( 32 ) and wherein at least one of the remaining fingers of the gripping hand rests on the second contact surface ( 34 ), preferably in the at least one finger recess ( 36 ). 9. Dispensing device according to one of the preceding claims, characterized in that sealing means for the respective tight connection are provided in the region of the fastening means ( 46 ) and/or in the region of the counter-fastening means ( 44 ) and/or optionally in the region of the intermediate fastening means ( 16 , 18 ). 10. Container ( 42 ) for holding liquid or pasty medium and for attachment to a dispensing device, in particular to a dispensing device ( 10 ) according to one of the preceding claims, wherein the container ( 42 ) comprises: 1. a receiving bag ( 42 ) defining a receiving space ( 62 ) for receiving the liquid or pasty medium and 2. counter-fastening means ( 44 ) provided on the receiving bag ( 42 ) for detachable attachment to corresponding fastening means ( 46 ) of the dispensing device ( 10 ), wherein the receiving space ( 62 ) is accessible via an access opening ( 58 ) located in the region of the counter-fastening means ( 44 ). 11. Container according to claim 10, characterized in that the receiving bag ( 42 ) has a base ( 64 ) in its region remote from the access opening ( 58 ). 12. Container according to claim 10 or claim 11, characterized in that the counter-fastening means ( 44 ) comprise a pipe socket ( 44 ) provided with an external thread and defining the access opening ( 58 ). 13. Container according to one of claims 10-12, characterized in that the receiving bag ( 42 ) is made of a flexible, thin-walled film material, preferably of a plastic film material, such as PE or PET. 14. Container according to one of claims 10-13, characterized in that the receiving bag ( 42 ) is reinforced with a rigid engagement element ( 56 ) in the region of the counter-fastening means ( 44 ). 15. Set comprising a dispensing device, in particular a dispensing device ( 10 ) according to one of claims 1-9, and a container connectable or connected thereto, in particular a container ( 42 ) according to one of claims 10-14, wherein after emptying the container ( 42 ) via the dispensing device ( 10 ), the emptied container ( 42 ) can be exchanged for another container ( 42 ) filled with pasty or liquid medium.