IE45451B1 - Device for the maesured supply of a fluid - Google Patents

Abstract

A liquid container (3, 4) has an aperture (8) from which liquid can be dispensed. A liquid-storing and liquid-permeable body (6) is arranged ahead of the aperture (8) in the flow direction in a metering part (4) of the container. By actuating an actuating member (1) which is accessible from the outside, liquid can be dispensed through the aperture (8). Such an arrangement allows a precisely defined quantity of liquid to be dispensed several times in succession.

Description

The invention relates to a device Tor the measured supply of a fluid comprising a fluid container from which the fluid can be delivered • by means of a metering device. Th® invention is. of particular applicatioh to hair treatment equipment including such a device.

On the basis of numerous tests it has been determined that particularly effective shaping of the hair can be achieved if the curled hair is moistened with steam or water vapour and then dried. For this reason so-called steam curling sticks have been developed with which, as opposed to the usual hair curlers, the function of subsequent drying can be carried out as well as that of moistening. Whilst the problem of heating the curling stick and thus the drying of the hair does not occasion any particular technical difficulties it is not quite so easy to generate a precisely determined amount of steam for the moistening of the hair and to direct it to the hair in the required manner.

Numerous suggestions have been made for solving the problem of steam generation and direction (cf.US Patent Specifications Nos. 2,254,266;. 2,491,845; 2,880,299; 3,220,421 and 3,610,259, and French Patent Specification No. 2,021,297). In a previous steam curling stick, a water container is provided next to an electrically heated heating element and a wick protrudes from the water container. (See US Patent Specification No. 3,835,292, or German Gebrauchsmuster No. 74.06,555). A perforated sleeve is arranged around the heating element and the water evaporating on the wick flows through these perforations to moisten the hair. The wick itself includes a cylindrical central portion, an evaporator head and a rear circumferential head. The rear portion of the wick extends into the water container and is, therefore, full of absorbed water which it delivers by capillary action to the evaporator head so that tie evaporator head can be pressed against a hot plate so that a predetermined amount of water is caused to evaporate. However, in practice, it has been found that with a wxck arrangement operating in the above-described manner, sealing problems can arise and that the evaporation process can be extremely irregular. If, for example a quantity of water has been evaporated and the steam curling stick with its water container is then swung downwards, an air bubble can' rise upwards by way of the wick whereby a reduced pressure is created in the water container which draws water to it.

Hot water may subsequently run out of the container and out of the evaporator head with the possibility that it will scald the user’s fingers or drip on to her feet.

However, sealing problems not only occur with the above-described fluid metering device during use, but also when the steam curling stick is in a resting position. Because of the fact that a wick does not provide an absolutely fluidtight connection it quite often happens that water drips out of the wick even in the resting position of the curling stick.

A further disadvantage of a water feed by mqans of a wick- consists in that the water can only be dispensed in insufficient quantities. Tests have shown that the amount of water evaporated with a steam curling stick of the above-described type is dependent on the pressure with which the wick is pressed against the hot plate but, when curling hair, it is almost impossible to press the wick against the hot plate with a reasonably constant force so that, in practice, uneven steaming of the hair is effected.

It is accordingly an object of the invention to provide an improved device for the measured supply of a fluid comprising a fluid container from, which the fluid can be delivered by means of a metering device, which device does not have the disadvantages referred to above.

According to the invention this object is solved in that the fluid container has at least one opening through which the fluid can be delivered and in that .there is provided, within the fluid container .and adjacent the opening, a compressible object capable of storing fluid, which object can be compressed by means of an actuating element disposed at least partly outside the fluid container to deliver fluid through the opening.

An important advantage -of the invention is that an accurately determined quantity of fluid can be delivered, several times in succession, from a 'fluid container on to a hot plate or the like.

Two embodiments of the invention are shown in the accompanying drawings in which Figure 1 shows a device according to the invention —4I with a return spring in the fluids ' j storing, compressible object, and Figure 2 shows a device according to the invention with a return spring on the actuating element.

The device shown in Figure 1 consists essentially of four parts: an actuating element 1, a lid 2 for a fluid container, a central section 3 of the fluid container and a dispensing part 4. The dispensing part 4 is disposed adjacent a hot plate 5 and contains a fluid-storing compressible object 6 whieh is connected to a spring 7. The spring 7 can, in this instance, be embedded in the object 6.

The dispensing part 4 includes a nozzle 8 on the side thereof facing in the direction of the hot plate 5, whilst on its other side it has a mounting 9 for a rod 10, which mounting 9 is provided around its circumference with a plurality of apertures 11 for the passage of water.· The dispensing part 4 can be pushed on to or screwed on to the central section 3 of the fluid container, so that they are connected firmly and in a watertight manner to each ether. Supports 12, 13 for the rod 10 are located in the central section and may be in the fora of crosses with arms of equal length and with a bearing aperture at the central point of intersection. A membrane 14 is held between the lid 2 and the central section 3, the membrane 14 being elastic and watertight. One surface of the membrane 14 contacts the rod 10 and the other surface ol the membrane is in contact with the actuating element 1.

In order to fill the water container 5with vzater, .the actuating element 1, the lid 2 'andJfche membrane 14 are removed. When this has · taken place the water can be put into the dispensing ‘part 4 and ihe central part 3. The removed parts can then be replaced. It is also possible to fill the device shown in Figure 1 by removal'of the dispensing section 4. The actual supply of fluid for the purposes of evaporation can now be effected.

The actuating element 1 is first pressed against the membrane 14 so that the membrane 14 is bulged and the rod 10 is displaced to the left. Bulging of the membrane 14 causes the water to be displaced in the direction of the object 6 into which it penetrates. Hi addition, the movement of the rod on to the object 6 causes the vzater to be squeezed out of the object 6 and squirted through the nozzle -8 on to the hot plate 5. After the hot plate 5 has been sprayed vzith water, the same procedure can be repeated many times in succession. The actuating element 1 is returned to its original position by the return force of the spring 7 which acts by way of the rod 10 so that a renewed thrust of the actuating element 1 against the membrane 14 is possible.

In practice it has been found that the 1 hot plate 5 can still be sprayed vzith water even if the water container only contains a small volume of vzater because the pumping movement of the membrane 14 and the suction effect of the object 6 ensure there is always sufficient vzater in the fluid-storing object 6. To ensure that movement of the water from right to left, as viewed in Figure 1, is not hindered it is desirable that the -6mounting 9 has apertures at its circumference.

If this were not the case, the water could huild up at the junction between the mounting 9 and the dispensing part 4.

Figure 2 shows a modification of the device illustrated in Figure 1 and the individual parts which correspond to each other are indicated by the same references in both figures. One feature of difference as compared to the device in Figure 1 is that in the device of Figure 2 the return force is not exerted by a spring disposed in the dispensing part 4 but by a spring 15 located between the membrane 14 and the actuating element 1. One end of the spring 15 abuts against projections on the lid 2 and the other end of the spring 15 abuts against a disc 17 which is firmly attached to the actuating element 1, whereby the disc 17 is pressed by the spring 15 against an inwardly directed lip 18 of the lid 2.

In this embodiment, the rod 10 is connected positively to the object 6 which is capable of suction action and may he a sponge, So that this object 6 accompanies all the movements of the rod 10. Coupling of the rod 10 to the actuating element 1 is effected by providing a magnet on the end of the actuating element 1 facing the membrane, whilst at least the adjacent end portion of the rod 10 consists of ferromagnetic material.

The fluid-storing object 6 is provided with a recess 20 opposite the nozzle 6 so that blocking of the nozzle is prevented in the event -7that fragments of the object 6 might become separated from the body of the object and 1 otherwise get into the nozzle 8.

' In order to improve the transporting of water in the direction of the dispensing part 4 it can be ! considered propitious to provide a one-way valve for air. This valve is represented symbolically in Figure 2 and designated by 21.

Instead of a single nozzle 8, as shown in Figure 1 and 2, a plurality of nozzles could be provided.

The dispensing devices shown in Figures 1 and 2 will normally form part of a steam hair curling implement consisting of an elongated tubular housing having a handle at one end and the dispensing I device at the other end. The central part of the tubular housing contains an electrically heated hot plate and the electrical supply leads for the hot plate are contained within the handle. In addition, a facility may be provided, as described in Patent Application No.- 169/77 . for controlling the temperature to which the hot plate is heated.

CLAIMSs-

Claims (15)

1. »5451

1. A device for the measured supply of ,a fluid comprising a fluid container from which ♦ the fluid can he delivered through an opening by means of a metering device, wherein a compressible fluid object capable of storing/is provided within the fluid container adjacent the opening, which object can be compressed by means of an actuating element disposed at least partly outside the fluid container to deliver fluid through the opening.

2. A device according to claim 1, wherein a rod is arranged in the fluid container, one end of the rod contacting the fluid-storing compressible object and the other end of the rod being connected to the actuating element.

3. A device according to claim 1, wherein the fluid container is normally closed by a removable lid.

4. A device according to claim 2, wherein an impervious membrane is disposed between the other end of the rod and the actuating element,

5. A device according to claim 2„ wherein the rod is held by guides located within the fluid container.

6. A device according to claim 5, wherein the guides are so formed that they do not prevent the movement of fluid within the fluid container.

7. A device according to claim 1, wherein the fluid-storing, compressible object is coupled to a spring.

8. A device according to claim 1, wherein the fluid container is provided with a one-way valve.

9. S451 9. A device according to claim 1, wherein the fluid-storing, compressible object is a foamed * » material with high recovery characteristics.

10. A device according to claim 1, wherein the fluid-storing, compressible object has a recess located directly facing the opening.

11. A device according to claim 2, wherein the other‘end of the rod is coupled magnetically to the actuating element. ' . .

12. A device according to claim 2, wherein the one end of the rod is permanently connected to the fluid-storing, compressible object.

13. A device according to claim 1, wherein the actuating element is coupled to a spring which reacts against a projection within the fluid container.

14. Hair curling equipment including a device according to'any one of the preceding claims.

15. A fluid delivery device substantially as hereinbefore described with reference to and as shown in Figure 1 or Figure 2 of the accompanying drawings.