Fluid dispensing apparatus and method
View Patent ↗A fluid dispenser for containing and dispensing metered amounts of fluid that includes a reservoir for containing fluid and a chamber positioned substantially within the reservoir for containing a quantity of the fluid. The fluid dispenser additionally includes a piston that is moveable within the chamber to draw fluid into the chamber when the piston is moved in a first direction with respect to the chamber, and to discharge fluid from the chamber when the piston is moved in a second direction opposite the first direction. Further, the fluid dispenser includes a user-manipulatable control coupled to the piston and rotatable about an axis to select one of at least two different metered quantities of fluid to be dispensed. The user-manipulatable control is further movable to move the piston relative to the chamber along the axis to selectively dispense the selected metered quantity of fluid.
1. A fluid dispenser for containing and dispensing metered amounts of fluid, the fluid dispenser comprising:
a reservoir for containing fluid;
a chamber positioned substantially within the reservoir for containing a quantity of the fluid;
a piston moveable within the chamber to draw fluid into the chamber when the piston is moved in a first direction with respect to the chamber, and to discharge fluid from the chamber when the piston is moved in a second direction opposite the first direction;
a user-manipulatable control coupled to the piston and rotatable about an axis to select one of at least two different metered quantities of fluid to be dispensed, the user-manipulatable control further movable to move the piston relative to the chamber along the axis to selectively dispense the selected metered quantity of fluid; and
a protrusion in slidable mating engagement relative to a first aperture defined in at least one of the piston and a wall of the chamber to control movement of the piston relative to the chamber.
2. The fluid dispenser of claim 1 , wherein the protrusion is movable to and between the first aperture and a second aperture defined in at least one of the piston and wall of the chamber to control movement of the piston relative to the chamber.
3. The fluid dispenser of claim 2 , wherein the protrusion is slidable along the first aperture to dispense a first metered quantity of fluid, and wherein the protrusion is slidable along the second aperture to dispense a second, different metered quantity of fluid.
4. The fluid dispenser of claim 3 , wherein the first and second apertures extend along the piston and have different lengths.
5. The fluid dispenser of claim 2 , wherein the user-manipulatable control is rotatable to selectively align the protrusion with one of the first aperture and the second aperture.
6. The fluid dispenser of claim 2 , wherein the user-manipulatable control is movable about the axis to a first rotational position in which the protrusion is aligned with the first aperture and to a second rotational position in which the protrusion is aligned with the second aperture, and wherein the user-manipulatable control is movable about the axis to a third rotational position in which the piston is in a locked state to prevent dispensation of fluid.
7. The fluid dispenser of claim 1 , further comprising a pawl movable relative to the piston to selectively permit and inhibit movement of the piston in at least one of the first and second directions.
8. The fluid dispenser of claim 7 , further comprising a first stop limiting movement of the piston into the chamber in one of the first and second directions and a second stop limiting movement of the piston out of the chamber in another of the first and second directions to move a first volume of fluid within the chamber when the piston moves from the first stop to the second stop, wherein the pawl permits piston movement in the first direction between the first stop and the second stop, and inhibits piston movement in the second direction until the piston reaches the second stop.
9. The fluid dispenser of claim 1 , further comprising indicia disposed on the user-manipulatable control and representative of the selectable metered quantities of fluid.
10. A fluid dispenser for containing and dispensing metered amounts of fluid, the fluid dispenser comprising:
a reservoir for containing fluid;
a chamber positioned substantially within the reservoir for containing a quantity of the fluid;
a piston moveable within the chamber to draw fluid into the chamber when the piston is moved in a first direction with respect to the chamber, and to discharge fluid from the chamber when the piston is moved in a second direction opposite the first direction; and
a user-manipulatable control rotatable to different circumferential positions about an axis extending along the piston to select one of at least two different slots that extend in an axial direction along the axis, wherein each slot corresponds to metered quantities of fluid to be dispensed.
11. The fluid dispenser of claim 10 , wherein the user-manipulatable control is rotatable to a circumferential position corresponding to a locked state of the piston.
12. The fluid dispenser of claim 11 , wherein the user-manipulatable control further movable to move the piston relative to the chamber along the axis to selectively dispense the selected metered quantity of fluid.
13. The fluid dispenser of claim 10 , wherein the user-manipulatable control is rotatable between a first circumferential position, a second circumferential position, and a third circumferential position to move the piston within the chamber, and wherein the first circumferential position corresponds to a first metered quantity of fluid to be dispensed, the second circumferential position corresponds to a second metered quantity of fluid to be dispensed, and the third circumferential position corresponds to a locked state of the piston.
14. The fluid dispenser of claim 10 , wherein the two different slots include a first slot and a second slot, and further comprising a protrusion in slidable mating engagement relative to the first slot and the second slot defined in at least one of the piston and a wall of the chamber to control movement of the piston relative to the chamber, and wherein the protrusion is movable between the first and second slots.
15. The fluid dispenser of claim 14 , wherein the user-manipulatable control is rotatable to move the protrusion between the first slot and the second slot.
16. A fluid dispenser for containing and dispensing metered amounts of fluid, the fluid dispenser comprising:
a reservoir for containing fluid;
a chamber positioned substantially within the reservoir for containing a quantity of the fluid;
a piston moveable within the chamber to draw fluid into the chamber when the piston is moved in a first direction with respect to the chamber, and to discharge fluid from the chamber when the piston is moved in a second direction opposite the first direction; and
a user-manipulatable control coupled to the piston and rotatable about an axis to rotate the piston and select an axial aperture corresponding to one of at least two different metered quantities of fluid to be dispensed, the user-manipulatable control further movable to move the piston relative to the chamber along the axis to selectively dispense the selected metered quantity of fluid by having the axial aperture limit the travel distance of the piston along the axis.
17. The fluid dispenser of claim 16 , wherein the axial aperture is a first axial aperture, and further comprising a second axial aperture, the user-manipulatable control further movable to move the piston relative to the chamber along the axis to selectively dispense the selected metered quantity of fluid by having the selected first or second axial aperture limit the travel distance of the piston along the axis.
18. The fluid dispenser of claim 17 , wherein the user-manipulatable control rotates the piston to select one of the first axial aperture or the second axial aperture, the first and second axial apertures corresponding to two different metered quantities of fluid to be dispensed.
19. The fluid dispenser of claim 16 , further comprising a protrusion in slidable mating engagement relative to the axial aperture to control movement of the piston relative to the chamber.
20. The fluid dispenser of claim 16 , wherein the axial aperture is defined in one of the piston or a wall of the chamber.
21. The fluid dispenser of claim 20 , further comprising a protrusion in slidable mating engagement relative to the axial aperture, wherein the protrusion is provided on the opposite of the piston or the wall of the chamber as the axial aperture.