Classifications

• • B—PERFORMING OPERATIONS; TRANSPORTING
  • B65—CONVEYING; PACKING; STORING; HANDLING THIN OR FILAMENTARY MATERIAL
  • B65D—CONTAINERS FOR STORAGE OR TRANSPORT OF ARTICLES OR MATERIALS, e.g. BAGS, BARRELS, BOTTLES, BOXES, CANS, CARTONS, CRATES, DRUMS, JARS, TANKS, HOPPERS, FORWARDING CONTAINERS; ACCESSORIES, CLOSURES, OR FITTINGS THEREFOR; PACKAGING ELEMENTS; PACKAGES
  • B65D83/00—Containers or packages with special means for dispensing contents
  • B65D83/14—Containers for dispensing liquid or semi-liquid contents by internal gaseous pressure, i.e. aerosol containers comprising propellant
  • B65D83/36—Containers for dispensing liquid or semi-liquid contents by internal gaseous pressure, i.e. aerosol containers comprising propellant allowing operation in any orientation
• • 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
  • B05B11/0059—Components or details allowing operation in any orientation, e.g. for discharge in inverted position
• • 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

Definitions

• the present invention relates to improvements in or relating to dip tubes
• Nozzle arrangements are often fitted to, or over, the outlet valves of
• pressurised fluid filled containers such as, for example, a hand-held aerosol
• Such nozzle arrangements typically comprise an actuator portion that
• pump or trigger actuated nozzle arrangements referred to as “pump or trigger actuated nozzle arrangements” or just "pump or
• the fluid products stored in containers are usually various forms of
• a typical dip tube has a free or open
• the dip tube is positioned at the bottom of the container where it is immersed in
• pressurised container or compressed air or an alternative gaseous propellant in
• open end of the dip tube is not usually immersed in the product (i.e. when it is
• said device having a body which defines an internal
• said inlet is adapted to at least restrict the access of liquid to
• said chamber at least when said device is inverted from an upright position.
• the outlet is
• the inlet is positioned on the upper surface of the device and the inlet is positioned on the
• the inlet is further adapted to at least restrict the access of
• tilt we mean that the device is displaced from the upright
• the inlet is adapted to at least restrict
• the device is adapted to at least
• the chamber of the device enables a
• reservoir of the product present the container to be stored witliin the device.
• inlet is not immersed in the product prevents, or at least minimises, the volume
• the device of the present invention may be placed within any suitable
• the container may be a non-pressurised container which is
• the outlet of the device is usually connected to the nozzle
• the container may be a pressurised container provided with a
• valve at its outlet (hereinafter referred to as an outlet valve) having a nozzle
• the outlet of the device is adapted
• compressed gas such as compressed air
• the chamber of the device may be prepared from a rigid material.
• the wall of the chamber may be in the form of a bellows, which can collapse inwards to reduce the volume of the chamber when fluid is drawn out
• the entire wall of the chamber is resiliently deformable.
• the entire body of the chamber is resiliently deformable.
• Any suitable resiliently deformable material may be used, such as a
• flexible rubber or flexible plastic material e.g. flexible polyethylene of
• the device of the present invention may be readily manufactured by
• the body may be any material
• the inlet of the device when the device is placed in a container, the inlet of the device is placed in a container.
• the device is adapted to be positioned proximate to the bottom of the container in a
• the inlet of the device is adapted to restrict access to the chamber at
• opening of the inlet will invariably become exposed to the gas fraction present
• the inlet serves to
• the inlet of the device comprises a constricted
• inlet has a maximum dimension which is less than that of the outlet of the device so that the flow into the chamber through the inlet is less than the flow
• the inlet will be a
• the device may comprise a tube which is open to the chamber at one end and
• the constricted opening may be disposed at any position along the length of the
• the constricted opening impedes the flow of gas or air into the device
• the constricted opening reduces the
• the constricted inlet is adapted to restrict
• the constricted inlet is adapted to restrict
• the wall will deform inwards and the volume of the chamber
• the inlet comprises a valve which is adapted
• valve is adapted to completely seal the inlet when the
• valve comprises a
• first position is a lower position and said second position is an upper position
• the valve is completely closed when the ball or other
• the device through the inlet and passing through the chamber and the outlet of the device into the nozzle arrangement.
• the device functions just like a
• the chamber which in turn generates a suction force in the inlet to the device.
• This suction force can cause the ball or similar body to be retained in the
• valve is provided with
• the amount of leakage through the partial seal is between 1
• the amount of leakage through the partial seal is between 5 and 20% of the flow
• valve during use examples include various polishes, paints,
• the recess comprising the ball bearing is much less likely to block or clog during use and every time the ball bearing moves any residue that has
• the device may be a leak provided in some other part of the device.
• the ball valve may also be provided with an alternative means for
• valve of the device which, when the ball is in the upper position, either pushes
• the device may be configured so that once it is virtually
• partial seal position or deforms the valve in the vicinity of the ball so that it can
• the inlet is either in the form of a constricted opening or comprises a
• valve capable of forming only a partial seal, it is possible that a small amount of
• gas may access the device when the container is inverted, tilted or shaken
• an aerosol canister can spray 1 millilitre/second through its outlet and is usually used for between 3 and 5 seconds per actuation, then it will
• dip tube is not immersed in the product. However, if the inlet is adapted to
• the device will tend to remain immersed in the liquid product present
• the liquid present in the device tends to cause the lower inlet end to be
• valve forms a complete seal to prevent any gas or air being expelled when the
• an alternative valve could be provided at the inlet.
• a suitable example of one such additional valve is a so-called “flap valve”. It is especially preferred
• the inlet is
• the weighted flap which is adapted to hang downwards when
• the device is upright so at to form an open tube and fold over when the device
• the weighted end of the tube is adapted to fall over and form
• the outlet of the device may enable the product to be drawn from the
• the device is in the upright position.
• the outlet of the device is an opening in the chamber wall that can receive a dip
• the outlet is an open end of an outlet tube, which is integrally formed with the device, and is open to the chamber at one end and
• the body of the invention in certain preferred embodiments of the invention, the body of the invention
• a device may define two or more separate chambers.
• a first chamber of said device may define two or more separate chambers.
• chambers will be as defined above and possess the inlet and outlet, whereas a
• the second of said chambers will posses an outlet.
• the second chamber may just
• the second chamber is a first chamber. It is generally preferred that the second chamber is a first chamber.
• liquid or a gas can be placed in the second chamber and drawn out through its
• outlets of the first and second chambers may join so that the fluid drawn out of
• each chamber mix with each other before reaching the outlet valve or nozzle
• each outlet may form a separate connection with the outlet
• valve or pump or trigger nozzle arrangement In the case of pressurised
• the fluid from each chamber may mix within the outlet valve or
• each chamber may be mixed within the pump or
• the fluids may be ejected
• the two or more chambers of the device may be separate, adjacent to
• the second chamber it is desirable for the second chamber to contain a
• the propellant in certain cases.
• the propellant can mix with the liquid drawn from
• the first chamber and can assist the atomisation of the liquid into small droplets.
• a constricted opening such as a
• the chamber is. divided into two
• the hole formed in the interface is sufficiently small to restrict the movement of the contents of the
• the device is inverted. It is also preferable that the lower compartment
• the inlet of the device is a tube which opens into the upper
• the outlet of the device is a tube which is open to the chamber at
• the outlet tube is
• the device of the present invention can be placed inside a container
• a dip tube comprising a device as
• the device is fitted to the end of the dip tube via its
• the dip tube forms the connection between the chamber outlet and
• the outlet of the container may
• the device may be connected directly to the
• container outlet and the dip tube may be connected to the inlet of the device.
• pressurised container having an interior in which a liquid may be stored, an
• a nozzle arrangement having an actuator adapted to selectively
• said container comprises a device as
• pressurised container having an interior in which a liquid may be stored, an
• a nozzle arrangement having an actuator adapted to selectively
• container having an interior in which a liquid may be stored, an outlet having a pump or trigger actuated nozzle arrangement fitted thereto and comprising a
• non-pressurised container having an interior in which a liquid may be stored
• dip tube as defined herein placed therein, said dip tube being
• said device being adapted to permit a liquid stored in said container
• said device having a body which defines an internal chamber, an
• the device is as defined above.
• the suspension of the device permits the device to swing within the
• pressurised container having a sealed interior, an outlet valve, an internal wall
• said dip tube being connected to said outlet valve and extending
• said compartment further comprises an inlet through which fluid can access
• said inlet being further adapted to at least restrict the access to said compartment when said container
• pressurised container having an interior, an outlet with a pump or trigger
• said inlet being further adapted to at least
• the inlet may comprise a constricted opening or a valve, as defined
• the inlet comprises a constricted opening
• contents of the container may flow slowly from the remainder of the container
• flow is between 5 and 20% of the rate of flow through the dip tube.
• the inlet is preferably positioned so that it is immersed in any liquid
• compartment is resiliently deformable and configured to assume a resiliently
• deformable wall may be made of any suitable resiliently deformable material
• the compartment may be formed across the entire bottom of the
• the container may comprise two or more internal compartments. Each
• compartment may be provided with a separate dip tube or receive a branch of a
• the open end of the dip tube is not immersed in the product can also be
• the present invention also provides, in a further aspect, a
• container having an interior in which a liquid may be stored during use, said container comprising an outlet having a manually-operable pump or trigger
• said dip tube having an inlet end through which fluid
• present in the container may access the dip tube and an opposing end which is
• This low internal volume is specif ically desired by manufacturers of pump and
• volume of Hquid product can be retained within the dip tube and this will be
• the intemal volume of the dip tube is preferably sufficient to
• the internal volume of the dip tube is between fifteen and twenty
• actuations of product can be dispensed if the container is held at an angle where
• the end of the dip tube is not immersed in the product present in the container. It is especially preferred that the volume is between twenty and thirty times the
• the open end of the dip tube is preferably positioned proximate to the
• inlet end of the dip tube comprises a constricted opening or valve arrangement
• the dip tube is preferably resiliently deformable, although it may be
• the product present in the container can be drawn into the dip tube as it
• the dip tube is filled ready for the f irst use.
• said dip tube having an
• the container is held at an angle where the open end of the dip tube is not
• the dip tubes of the present aspect of the invention has an internal
• the open end of the dip tube is not immersed in the product present in the
• the internal volume of the dip tube is sufficient to enable
• dip tube which is adapted to restrict access to the dip tube at least when the
• the product present in the container i.e. when it is tilted, inverted, or shaken, limits the amount of gas or ah that accesses the dip tube while the open end
• the inlet end of the dip tube is provided with
• the dip tube may be crushed prior to its initial insertion into the
• the dip tube is also preferably resiliently deformable, as discussed
• Figure 1 is a cross sectional view of a first embodiment of a device of
• Figure 2 is a cross sectional view of a second embodiment of a device of
• Figure 3 is a cross sectional view of a third embodiment of a device of
• Figure 4 is a cross-sectional view of a fourth embodiment of a device of
• Figure 5A is an external view of a fifth embodiment of the device of the present invention.
• Figure 5B is a perspective view of the device shown in Figure 5A;
• Figure 5C is a perspective view of the outlet end of the device shown in
• Figure 5D is a perspective view of an adaptor for fitting the outlet end of
• Figure 1 shows a first embodiment 101 of a device according to the
• the device 101 is formed from a flexible and resiliently deformable
• plastic material and comprises a body which defines an internal chamber 102,
• container may access the interior of the chamber, and an outlet tube 105, which
• the chamber 102 comprises an upper compartment 102b and a lower
• compartment 102a The compartments are linked by a constricted aperture
• the outlet tube 105 extends through an aperture 104 formed on the
• the inlet 103 is comprises a ball valve, which consists of an internal
• Fluid can continue to be
• deformable wall can result in the ball bearing 103c becoming stuck in the upper
• the ball bearing may have to be dislodged from the
• the cavity can be shaped around the
• the ball may also be dislodged by simply shaking the container and
• the cavity could be arranged so that there is a small
• the opening 103a is preferably positioned adjacent to the bottom surface
• the open end of the outlet tube 105a is offset with respect to the inlet
• FIG. 1 A second embodiment of the present invention is shown in Figure 2.
• the device 201 shown in Figure 2 is essentially the same as that shown in
• inlet is introduced into the upper compartment 102b and will access the lower
• construction is that any ah or gas that does manage to access the device through
• the inlet will accumulate in the upper compartment 102b when the device is
• the device 201 when the device 201 is inverted or tilted during use, the
• a simplified device 301 of the present invention is shown in Figure 3.
• the device 301 has a chamber 102, which, unlike the embodiments shown in
• Figures 1 and 2 does not have upper and lower compartments, an inlet 103 and
• outlet tube 105 extends into the bottom of
• the outlet tube 105 is provided with a hole 106, the function of which is
• embodiment comprises a constricted opening, which restricts the amount of
• the chamber then returns to its original configuration after use and the
• dimensions of the constricted inlet opening can be selected to control the
• outlet tube 105 could be a dip tube to which the device
• This device 401 is adapted to be fitted to the end of a dip tube 105
• the dip tube 105 connects a resiliently deformable chamber
• chamber 102 is provided with an inlet 103 through which the contents of the
• the inlet 103 comprises
• the inlet 103 of the device 401 may be a
• constricted opening which serves to restrict the flow of the contents of the
• the device is in the form of a standard dip tube, equivalent to the dip tube 105,
• This device is especially suited for a connection to a pump
• liquid is drawn into the expanded chamber through the inlet and exits
• chamber can be replenished by returning the container to an upright position in
• This compartment has an opening
• the hquid product present in the container will flow into the separate compartment when the container is upright. If the device is tilted or
• embodiment of the device 501 comprises an inlet 103, an internal chamber 102
• the inlet 103 comprises a ball valve (not shown), which
• the chamber 102 and the second chamber 502 are arranged concentrically.
• chamber 102 is exactly the same in principle as the chambers 102 of the
• Fluid in contiast, is a sealed chamber, which does not have an inlet. Fluid can be
• first and second chambers may be mixed prior to entering the outlet valve or
• the contents could mix within the outlet valve/nozzle
• dimensions of the outlet of the second chamber 502 can control the rate at
• the outlet end 104 of the device 501 is directly connected to an outlet
• valve of a pressurised container or a pump or trigger nozzle arrangement (in
• the adaptor 510 shown in Figure 5D.
• the adaptor 510 may be a separate
• 5D may be integrally formed with either the device 501 or the
• the adaptor 510 is configured to be received within the outlet end 104 of
• support segments 505 are provided at the outlet
• the adaptor 510 comprises a circular protrusion 511, which is
• outlet valve or pump or trigger nozzle arrangement or, alternatively, a
• passageway connecting this chamber to the outlet /aperture 512 may be

Landscapes

• Chemical & Material Sciences (AREA)
• Dispersion Chemistry (AREA)
• Engineering & Computer Science (AREA)
• Mechanical Engineering (AREA)
• Containers And Packaging Bodies Having A Special Means To Remove Contents (AREA)
• Details Of Rigid Or Semi-Rigid Containers (AREA)
• Closures For Containers (AREA)

Applications Claiming Priority (9)

Publications (1)

Family

ID=31982465

Family Applications (1)

Country Status (8)

Families Citing this family (6)

Family Cites Families (17)

• 2003
  • 2003-09-08 BR BR0313996-4A patent/BR0313996A/pt not_active IP Right Cessation
  • 2003-09-08 JP JP2004533648A patent/JP2005537998A/ja active Pending
  • 2003-09-08 MX MXPA05002483A patent/MXPA05002483A/es active IP Right Grant
  • 2003-09-08 CA CA002497893A patent/CA2497893A1/en not_active Abandoned
  • 2003-09-08 EP EP03748253A patent/EP1534610A2/en not_active Withdrawn
  • 2003-09-08 AU AU2003267561A patent/AU2003267561A1/en not_active Abandoned
  • 2003-09-08 WO PCT/GB2003/003852 patent/WO2004022451A2/en active Application Filing
• 2005
  • 2005-03-03 US US11/070,673 patent/US20050189382A1/en active Granted

Non-Patent Citations (1)

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