Squeeze action foam pump
View Patent ↗A foam dispenser includes a foam pump communicating with the contents of a container holding a foamable liquid. The foam pump includes a pump body, a passage extending through the pump body from an inlet to an outlet, an inlet valve including an inlet flow regulator, and an outlet valve including an outlet flow regulator. The inlet receives foamable liquid from the container. The inlet valve and outlet valve are positioned in the passage to define (a) an inlet stage, (b) an outlet stage, and (c) a transition stage. A liquid port extends through the pump body and communicates with the transition stage, and an air port extends through the pump body and communicates with the outlet stage. A liquid bellows surrounds the liquid port and an air bellows surrounds the air port. The liquid bellows contains the foamable liquid and is movable between an expanded volume and a contracted volume, and expels at least a portion of the foamable liquid to the passage through the liquid port when moved from its expanded volume to its contracted volume. The air bellows contains air and is movable between an expanded volume and a contracted volume, and expels at least a portion of the air to the passage through the air port when moved from its expanded volume to its contracted volume.
1. A foam dispenser, comprising:
a container holding a foamable liquid for dispensing;
a pump body;
a substantially straight passage extending through said pump body from an inlet to an outlet thereof, said inlet receiving foamable liquid from said container;
an inlet valve including an inlet flow regulator and an outlet valve including an outlet flow regulator, the inlet valve and outlet valve being positioned in said substantially straight passage such that said inlet flow regulator and said outlet flow regulator define: an inlet stage from said inlet to said inlet flow regulator, an outlet stage from said outlet flow regulator to said outlet, and a transition stage from said inlet flow regulator to said outlet flow regulator;
a spacer positioned in said substantially straight passage between said outlet valve and said outlet;
a liquid bellows sealed to an exterior of said pump body and defining a liquid chamber, said liquid bellows being movable between an expanded volume and a contracted volume and adapted to expel at least a portion of a liquid within the liquid chamber when moved from said expanded volume to said contracted volume;
a liquid port extending through said pump body and communicating with said transition stage and said liquid chamber;
an air bellows sealed to said exterior of said pump body and defining an air chamber, said air bellows being movable between an expanded volume and a contracted volume and adapted to expel at least a portion of a volume of air within the air chamber when moved from said expanded volume to said contracted volume; and
an air port extending through said pump body and communicating with said outlet stage and said air chamber.
2. The foam dispenser of claim 1 , wherein air is drawn into the air chamber through the outlet when the air bellows are moved from the contracted volume to the expanded volume.
3. The foam dispenser of claim 1 , wherein the structure of the inlet valve and the outlet valve is identical such that the valves are interchangeable.
4. The foam dispenser of claim 1 , wherein the inlet valve and the outlet valve are configured such that they may be selectively positioned within the passage.
5. The foam dispenser of claim 1 , wherein at least one of the inlet valve and the outlet valve comprises a conical wall, a stem, and one or more fins extending radially from the stem.
6. The foam dispenser of claim 1 , wherein at least one of the inlet valve and the outlet valve comprises a flexible conical wall such as to permit fluid flow in a first direction and resist fluid flow in a second direction opposite the first direction.
7. The foam dispenser of claim 1 , wherein at least one of the inlet valve and the outlet valve comprises one or more fins configured to contact a sidewall of the passage to stabilize the valve within the passage.
8. The foam dispenser of claim 1 , wherein at least one of the liquid bellows and the air bellows are configured to move from the contracted volume to the expanded volume without the use of a biasing mechanism.
9. The foam dispenser of claim 1 , wherein both the inlet valve and the outlet valve comprise a flexible conical wall such as to permit fluid flow in a first direction and resist fluid flow in a second direction opposite the first direction and one or more fins configured to contact a sidewall of the passage to stabilize the valve within the passage.
10. The foam dispenser of claim 1 , wherein the liquid bellows and the air bellows are configured such that they can be compressed substantially simultaneously from the expanded volume to the contracted volume.
11. The foam dispenser of claim 1 , wherein the transition stage of the passage is substantially rigid and no portion of the transition stage is collapsible.
12. A refill unit, comprising:
a container holding a foamable liquid for dispensing;
a body portion comprising an inlet, an outlet, and a substantially straight passage extending from the inlet to the outlet, the inlet configured to receive the foamable liquid from the container;
an inlet valve positioned within the substantially straight passage between the inlet and outlet;
an outlet valve positioned within the substantially straight passage between the inlet valve and the outlet, wherein the position of the inlet valve and the outlet valve within the substantially straight passage define a first portion of the substantially straight passage between the inlet valve and the outlet valve and a second portion of the substantially straight passage between the outlet valve and the outlet;
a spacer positioned within the substantially straight passage between the outlet valve and the outlet;
a liquid pump in fluid communication with the first portion of the passage, the liquid pump configured: to draw the foamable liquid from the container, through the inlet valve, through the first portion of the passage, and into the liquid pump; and to expel the foamable liquid from the liquid pump, through the first portion of the passage, through the outlet valve, and into the second portion of the passage; and
an air pump in fluid communication with the second portion of the passage, the air pump configured: to draw in air through the outlet, through the second portion of the passage, and into the air pump; and to expel the air from the air pump and into the second portion of the passage to mix with the foamable liquid expelled from the liquid pump.
13. The refill unit of claim 12 , wherein the liquid pump and the air pump are sealed to the exterior of the body portion of the refill unit.
14. The refill unit of claim 12 , wherein the liquid pump and the air pump are separate components configured to operate substantially simultaneously.
15. The refill unit of claim 12 , wherein the structure of the inlet valve and the outlet valve is identical such that the valves are interchangeable.
16. The refill unit of claim 12 , wherein at least one of the inlet valve and the outlet valve comprise a flexible conical wall such as to permit fluid flow in a first direction and resist fluid flow in a second direction opposite the first direction.
17. The refill unit of claim 12 , wherein at least one of the inlet valve and the outlet valve comprise one or more fins configured to contact a sidewall of the passage to stabilize the valve within the passage.
18. The refill unit of claim 12 , wherein the inlet valve and the outlet valve are one-way valves configured to permit fluid flow in a first direction and resist fluid flow in a second direction opposite the first direction.
19. A refill unit, comprising:
a container holding a foamable liquid for dispensing;
a body portion comprising an inlet, an outlet, and a substantially straight passage extending from the inlet to the outlet, the inlet configured to receive the foamable liquid from the container;
an inlet valve positioned within the substantially straight passage between the inlet and outlet;
an outlet valve interchangeable with the inlet valve and positioned within the substantially straight passage between the inlet valve and the outlet, wherein the inlet valve and the outlet valve have an identical structure;
a spacer positioned within the substantially straight passage between the outlet valve and the outlet;
a liquid pump in fluid communication with the passage, the liquid pump configured to draw the foamable liquid from the container into the liquid pump and expel the foamable liquid from the liquid pump into the passage; and
an air pump in fluid communication with the passage, the air pump configured to draw in air through the outlet into the air pump and expel the air from the air pump into the passage to mix with the foamable liquid expelled from the liquid pump.
20. The foam dispenser of claim 1 , wherein the inlet valve, the outlet valve, and the spacer are stacked in the passage such that the inlet valve is adjacent the outlet valve and the outlet valve is adjacent the spacer.
21. The foam dispenser of claim 1 further comprising at least one screen positioned in the passage between the spacer and the outlet.
22. The foam dispenser of claim 1 further comprising a mixing cartridge positioned in the passage between the spacer and the outlet, the mixing cartridge having a tube, an inlet screen, and an outlet screen.
23. The foam dispenser of claim 22 , wherein the inlet valve, the outlet valve, the spacer, and the mixing cartridge are stacked in the passage such that the inlet valve is adjacent the outlet valve, the outlet valve is adjacent the spacer, and the spacer is adjacent the mixing cartridge.
24. A foam dispenser, comprising:
a container holding a foamable liquid for dispensing;
a pump body;
a substantially straight passage extending through said pump body from an inlet to an outlet thereof, said inlet receiving foamable liquid from said container;
an inlet valve including an inlet flow regulator and an outlet valve including an outlet flow regulator, the inlet valve and outlet valve being positioned in said passage such that said inlet flow regulator and said outlet flow regulator define: an inlet stage from said inlet to said inlet flow regulator, an outlet stage from said outlet flow regulator to said outlet, and a transition stage from said inlet flow regulator to said outlet flow regulator;
a spacer positioned in said passage between said outlet valve and said outlet;
a liquid bellows sealed to an exterior of said pump body and defining a liquid chamber, said liquid bellows being movable between an expanded volume and a contracted volume and adapted to expel at least a portion of a liquid within the liquid chamber when moved from said expanded volume to said contracted volume;
a liquid port extending through said pump body and communicating with said transition stage and said liquid chamber;
an air bellows sealed to said exterior of said pump body and defining an air chamber, said air bellows being movable between an expanded volume and a contracted volume and adapted to expel at least a portion of a volume of air within the air chamber when moved from said expanded volume to said contracted volume;
an air port extending through said pump body and communicating with said outlet stage and said air chamber; and
wherein the liquid bellows and the air bellows are sealed to opposing sides of the pump body.
25. The foam dispenser of claim 1 , wherein the spacer forms one or more chambers for mixing the liquid from the liquid bellows and the air from the air bellows.
26. A foam dispenser, comprising:
a container holding a foamable liquid for dispensing;
a pump body;
a substantially straight passage extending through said pump body from an inlet to an outlet thereof, said inlet receiving foamable liquid from said container;
an inlet valve including an inlet flow regulator and an outlet valve including an outlet flow regulator, the inlet valve and outlet valve being positioned in said passage such that said inlet flow regulator and said outlet flow regulator define: an inlet stage from said inlet to said inlet flow regulator, an outlet stage from said outlet flow regulator to said outlet, and a transition stage from said inlet flow regulator to said outlet flow regulator;
a spacer positioned in said passage between said outlet valve and said outlet;
a liquid bellows sealed to an exterior of said pump body and defining a liquid chamber, said liquid bellows being movable between an expanded volume and a contracted volume and adapted to expel at least a portion of a liquid within the liquid chamber when moved from said expanded volume to said contracted volume;
a liquid port extending through said pump body and communicating with said transition stage and said liquid chamber;
an air bellows sealed to said exterior of said pump body and defining an air chamber, said air bellows being movable between an expanded volume and a contracted volume and adapted to expel at least a portion of a volume of air within the air chamber when moved from said expanded volume to said contracted volume;
an air port extending through said pump body and communicating with said outlet stage and said air chamber;
wherein the spacer forms one or more chambers for mixing the liquid from the liquid bellows and the air from the air bellows; and
wherein the spacer forms a first chamber and a second chamber, and wherein the first chamber is in fluid communication with the second chamber by a first orifice, and wherein the liquid and the air are mixed together in the first chamber to form a mixture, and wherein the mixture is forced through the first orifice to the second chamber.
27. The foam dispenser of claim 26 further comprising a mixing cartridge positioned in the passage between the spacer and the outlet, the mixing cartridge having a tube, an inlet screen, and an outlet screen, wherein the second chamber of the spacer is in fluid communication with the mixing cartridge by a second orifice, and wherein the mixture is forced through the second orifice to the mixing cartridge.