Note: Descriptions are shown in the official language in which they were submitted.
~ 3~ 1211-7~g
This invention relates in general to fluid-dispensing
mechanisms and, more particularly, to the design of a support
housing for a soap or lotion-dispensing container which as one
optlon is controlled by a foot pump.
Support housings are generally provided for fluid-
dispensing containers so that the container can be placed in
the housing and then mounted to a surface such as a wall. The
fluid dispensing containers are of various sizes and shapes and
contain various forms of fluid. The housings also are various
sizes and shapes and there are various methods employed for
securing the containers to the housings.
One method of securing the container to a housing is
to use a container which has a screw-thread bottleneck which
is screwed into a receiving threaded portion of the housing.
This approach can sometimes cause problems because the container
; needs to be axially rotated and with various thread pitches
and starting points, the final orientation of the container
cannot be guaranteed to point in a certain selected direction.
Further, other means of securing a container to a housing
tend to be cumbersome or difficult to use and/or assemble.
There exists a further prob~em when a disposable pump is
used for pumping the fluid from the fluid-dispensing
container. In such circumstances, a means is needed for
attaching this pump to the container. If the bottleneck of the
container, which has the screw threads, is used to attach the
container to the housing, there is no place where the disposable
pump can be easily and securely attached to this container.
A first embodiment of the present invention provides for
a simple and inexpensive support housing for a fluid-dispensing
~3~13~
containe~ which can be easily mounted to a surface such as a wall.
The first embodiment provides features for securely mounting a fluid
container to the housing in a manner which is easy and simpl~.
Further, the first embodiment allows for the use of a container
which includes a disposable fluid pump which is connected to the
container and attached to the screw threads of the bottleneck of the
container. The first embodiment also provides a new and improved
means for securing ~he fluid container and its disposal pump in
place. These means are easy to use and simple to assemble. In
contrast, prior references disclose only complicated and/or insecure
methods for retaining such containers in a suitable housing.
In a second embodiment of the present invention, the basic fluid
dîspensing concept of the first embodiment is incorporated into a
surgical unit having an elongated spout and foot pump. The simple
and inexpensive nature of the first embodiment and its various
features are carried through to the second embodiment, the primary
differences being the addition of the foot pump and those structural
changes required to incorporate the vinyl connecting hose from the
foot pump to the pumping mechanism couplPd to the fluid-dispensing
container.
It i8 also desirable that the support housing of both
embodiments be designed so that they can receive only the types of
fluid-dispensing containers which they purport to house. In this
way the person using the fluid dispenser can be assured that the
fluid dispensing container disposed within the support housing
contains the type of fluid that he expects. The present in~ention
provides a support housing which includes a unique mounting means
for a fluid container which has a specifically adapted and contoured
neck portion. This allows the support housing to accept only those
types of fluid containers that include such a contoured neck
portion. This is important, for example, where these types of
Z
containers are used for hand washing where proper hygiene is very
important. In hospitals, for example, the hand washing fluids
contained within ~hese fluid-dispensing containers have to be fluids
which are designed to provide the utmost in cleaning and
disinfection. There-fore, any mix-up in fluids could be a problem,
and such problems are minimized by the present invention.
The present invention provides for a support housing which is
designed to only mate with a certain type of fluid~dispensing
container. Therefore, this insures the user that the housing will
only house fluid con~ainers containing ~he fluid he needs and
e~pects. A further feature of the present invention is the presence
of a central opening in the housing front. Thi~ opening is sized
and positioned so that the user is provided a visual indication of
the container and its contents.
A support housing for a fluid dispensing container which is used
in specific areas needs to be simple and easily taken apart so that
it can be easily cleaned and reloaded with a fresh supply of
solution. In hospital environments, for example, these types of
co~ainers will often be found in scrub areas outside of surgery.
Such containers cannot afford to become contaminatsd and by
providing a device that can be easily disassambled and cleaned,
contamination i5 minimized.
There are numerous devices which have been patented fol
fluid-dispensing containers but none of these provide the advantages
and the ease of use and the simple features of the present
inven~ion. Also none of these prior paten~s provide for a containe~
which can be attached to the support housing and still have its
disposable pump attached around the scre~ threads of the
bottleneck. Further none of these prior-patented devices provide
for a support housing which will only accept a certain type of
container which has a uniquely contoured neck portion. Examples of
~2~32~
prior pdtents are the Eollowing:
U. S._Patent No. Patentee
3,85B,762 Meshberg
3,182,337 Price
3,334,791 Metzler
2,198,811 Gabriel
650,166 Chadbouen
3,349,967 Schneller
2,652,952 Mowbray
3,045,873 Ryan
2,583,867 Dobkin
Dobkin discloses a liquid soap dispenser and features 3
nondisposable pump which is part of the housing. Dobkin does not
have a unigue means of attaching the fluid-dispensing container to
the housing. Ryan discloses a housing for an aerosol bomb. The
housing is specifically designed fo~ the use of an aerosol bomb and
does not have any specific features for uniquely mounting the fluid
contai~er.
Mowbray discloses a liquid soap dispenser which is in~ended to
be used with only one type of container. However, Mowbray does not
allow for a disposable pump to be attached to the container.
Mowbray uses the threads of the bottleneck portion of the container
to attach the container to the housing.
Schneller discloses a rack for containing various toiletry
dispensers. There does not ~ppear to be a disposable pump, and the
containers are completely enclosed. Further, the container of
Schneller i8 difficult to Sake apart and difficult to assemble and
the containers a~e threadedly mounted by their bo~tleneck portion to
the housing. SchnelleL does not disclo~e a container which requires
a unique bottle shape with a unique bottleneck portion.
Chadbourn discloses a pneumatic syrup jar for soda fountains,
but again, Chadbourn is mounted by taking advantages of the threads
on the bottleneck portion and is not adapted for receipt of unique
types of bottles. Gabriel discloses a coin-operated liquid
dispenser which discloses the concept of mounting the bottle by
using the threads of the bottleneck.
Metzler discloses a simple device which again is for a fluid
dispenser, but again, the bottle is mounted by its bottleneck
portion and there is no provision for a disposable fluid pump nor is
there provision for using uniquely shaped bottles with the device.
Price shows a flush tank attachment for lever operation of
atomizer deodorant cans. The device shows a method for mounting a
can but does not show a method for mounting a specifically contoured
con~ainer which has a specially contoured neck portion. Further,
there is no means shown in Price for securing the cans so that they
are held in the bracket securely. Finally, the Price invention does
no~ show any way to insure ~hat only certain types of cans would be
fitted to the support housing. Meshberg discloses an actuator
assembly for an encased dispenser. The valve stem of the container
is assembled to a spray button which is acted upon by actuator means.
None of the foregoing pa~ents discloses a device such as the
present invention which provides a support housing for a fluid
container wherein the support housing is constructed so as to
receive a fluid container with a specifically contoured neck
portion. Further, none of the patented devices discloses a support
housing for a fluid dispensing container which is as simple and as
easy to use as the present invention. Also none of the prior
patents known to exist disclsse the particular feature of t~is
invention for in~uring that only specific types of fluid containers,
with the disposable pump attached to the bottleneck screw threads,
are used with the support housing. Finally, none of the prior
patents, known to exist disclose the above concep~s and features in
combination with a remotely located, but directly connected foot
pump .
A support housing for a fluid-disp*nsing container according to
one embodiment of the present invention comprises a housing adapted
33~
for mounting to a surfase and a fluid-dispensing container which nas
a neck portion specifically contoured for receipt by the housing
wherein the housing includes a back housing por~ion having a
receptacle arranged to receive the contoured neck portion of the
fluid-dispensing container, front housing means .or holding the neck
portion in the receptacle, and surface mounting means for mounting
the housing to a surface.
It is an object of this invention to provide an improved support
housing for a fluid-dispensing container wherein the
fluid-dispensing container is securely and easily assembled to the
housing.
It is ano~her object of this inven~ion to provide an improved
support housing for a fluid-dispensing container wherein the housing
is adapted to house a container which has a specifically contoured
neck portion.
It is ano~her object of the present invention to provide a
fluid-dispensing mechanism which is operable ~o dispense a portion
of a container's conten~s by manual activation of a remotely located
foot pump.
Related objects and advantages of the present invention will be
apparent from the following description.
FIG. 1 is a front elevation assembly view of a support housing,
a fluid-dispensing contai~er and disposable pump according to a
typical embodiment o~ the present invention.
FIG. 2 is a side elevation section view of the FIG. 1 assembly.
FIG. 3 is a ba~k elevat;on view of the support housing of the
FIG. 1 assembly.
FIG. 4 is a fragmentary, top plan view of the FIG. 1 support
housing.
FIG. 5 is a perspective view of the fluid-dispensing container
and disposable pump of the FIG. 1 assembly.
~2~
FIG. 6 is a front elevation view of a back housing portion
comprising a portion of the FIG. 1 support housing.
FIG. 7 is a back elevation view of a front housing portion
comprising a portion of the FIG. 1 support housing.
FIG. 8 is a partial, top plan view of the neck portion of the
FIG. 1 container.
FIG. 9 i6 a side elevation view in full section of a
fluid-dispensing me~hanism according to a typical embodiment of the
present invention.
FIG. 10 is a fron~ elevation view in full section of the back
housing portion of the FIG. 9 mechanism.
FIG. 11 is a side elevation view in full section of the FIG. 10
back housing portion.
FIG. 12 is a perspective view of a lock plate key comprising an
accessory for the FIG. 9 mechanism.
FIG. 13 is a side elevation in full section of a foot pump
comprising a portion of the FIG. 9 mechanism.
For the purposes of promoting an understanding of the principles
of the invention, rePerence will now be made to the embodiment
illustrated in the drawings and specific language will be used to
desc~ibe the same. It will nevertheless Se understood that no
limita~ion of the scope of the invention is thereby intended, such
alterations and further modifications in the illustrated device, and
such further applications of the principles of the invention as
illustrated therein being contemplated as would normally occur to
one skilled in the art to which ~he invention relates.
Referring to FIGS. 1 and 2 there is illustrated a support
housing 10 for fluid-dispensing container 11 that is fitted with a
pump 12. In the P'IG. 1 and 2 illustrations, the container 11 is
shown mounted within the housing 10. Suppost housing 10 includes
front housing por~ion 19 and bacls housing portion 14 which is
3 ~33~:~
arranged to receive ~he contoured neck portion 15 of the containe~
which includes a D-shaped flange 16 (see FIG. 5). The back housing
portion 14 has a flange sleeve 13 (see FIGS. ~ and 6) which receives
flange 16 when the container is assembled into the housing.
As is shown in FIG. 5, the contoured neck portion 15 is tha~
portion of the container above the container body 18 and below the
bottleneck threads 17. Pump 12 is threaded to the bottleneck
~hreads 17 of the container 11, and is designed to pump out of the
container a measured amount of Pluid every time its top portion i~
depressed downwardly.
The flange sleeve 13 has a generally U~shaped opening 21 and a
flange sleeve groove 29 so that once the D-shaped flange 16 slides
into place its outer edge is received by the groove and the
co~tainer is supported in a vertical and upright orien~ation. The
D-shaped flange cannot rotate about i~s axis because i~ is
restLained by the V-shaped sides of flange sleeve 13. In ~his
manner, only a fluid container such as fluid container 11 that has a
neck portion with a D-shaped neck flange contoured about the neck
por~ion will be securely received by flange ~leeve 13. Thus the
container can be securely received and mounted ~o the back housing
portion by sliding the D-shaped flange 16 into groove 29 of ~he
flange sleeve 13.
The back housing por~ion (~ee FIG. 6) includes back support
ridges 31 and a bottom support ridge 32 for aiding in maintaining
the contain~r in it~ propeL orientation. However, ît is to be noted
while these suppor~ ridges are desirable, they are not ab~olu~ely
necessary because the bottle will still remain in its desired
vertical a~d upright orientation because of ~he fit between ~he
D-shaped flange and the flange sleeve of the back housing portion.
The support housing is made by molding an inexpensive plastic
and thus the entire device is low cost. Further, because the flange
sleeve 13 can be made in a variety of shapes or forms ~o adap~ to a
compatibly contoured neck portion of a container, the container's
neck portion can be al~ered in various ways and the flange can be
altered in various ~ays so that only certain containers with certain
types of contoured neck portions will fit with certain back housing
flanges. Thus, according to the teachings of the present invention,
it can be insured tha~ only certain containers can be used with
certain styled back housing portions. The present invention insure~
for the person using the fluid-dispensing container that the
container contains an appLoved fluid. This is especially important
in hospitals and related env;ronments where it is important that the
soap that is used be of a type that will properly disinfect the
hands or other items ~hat are being washed. In some situations, the
container for soap and the container for hand location could each
have a D-flange thus allowing a more universal or interchangaable
design. However, the containers and f langes can just as easily be
contoured for only a one-to-one utilization thus guaran~eeing that
only one solution could ever be present in a particular housing.
Further it is to be noted tha~ the disposable pump 12 is
attached to the container 11 by use of the bo~tleneck threads 17.
Because the container, unlike the prior art, is mounted by its
contoured neck portion 15 and not by its bottleneck threads, the
disposable pump can be easily removed or attached and no special
provisions need be made for it other than a slot in ~he housing.
Also, the pump can be pointed in any direction because the pump head
33 rotates in the pump body 34.
Front housing por~ion 19 is designed for holding the con~oured
neck portion 15 of the container 11 within the flange sleeve 13. In
the preferred embodiment this is accomplished by the proximity of
the front surface of housing portion 19 to sleeve 13. This front
housing portion 19 includes front locking ridges 3~ (sae FIG. 7)
3~
which as can be seen in FIG. 4 close off the flange sleeve 13 and
~he flange sleeve g~oove 29 so tha~ the D-shaped flange cannot be
pulled out of the flange sleeve. The entire assembly is held in
place because the front housing portion 19 is secured to the back
housing portion 14. In the preferred embodiment, this is
accomplished by attachment means which are designed for detachably
mounting the front housing portion to the back housing portion. The
front housing portion 19 encloses the container completely except
for the frontal viewing area opening 40 so that the frontal portion
of the container can be seen. This enables the user to view the
container contents through the support housing and to confirm that
the proper fluid is present. The container 11 always goes into the
housing the same ~ay and because of the ma~ing between ~he D-shaped
flange and the flange sleeve, the front label of the container will
always face forward and thus can always be viewed. In the prior art
where the containe~ was attached to its housing by its bottleneck
threads, the container might not be threaded so tha~ the front label
would alway~ show in a forward-facing means.
The attachment means for attaching the front housing por~ion to
the back housing portion in the preferred embodiment is a group of
locking slots 46 which are in the back housing portion and a group
of mating locking ridges 48 which are on the front housing portion.
The fron~ housing portion has a deformable portion 47. In the
preferred embodiment thP front housing portion is made out of a
deformable plastic. Thus the front housing portion is secured to
the back housing portion by deforming ~he deformable portion 47 so
that ~he fron~ housing portion ridges ~8 are pressed into the
locking slots 46 of the back housing portion. When the deformable
front portion 47 is undeformed~ the locking ridges 48 engage with
the locking slots 46 of the back housing portion. When the
deformable front portion 47 is undeformed, ~he locking ridges 48
~ ~3~
engage with the locking slots 46 so that there is a secure locking
engagement attachmen~ between the front housing portion and the b~c~
housing portion. The locking plate disclosed as part of the second
embodiment is usable in combination with this assembly concept to
lock the front housing portion in place.
Finally there are surface mounting means for mounting said
support housing to a surface such as a wall. In the preferred
embodiment these means are simply the keyholes 45 on the back of the
back housing portion. As is known in the art, this would be a
simple mat~el of screwing a group of screws into a wall and then
mounting the back housing portion by its keyholes. Then the
D-shaped flange of the con~ainer 11 is simply slipped into the
flange sleeve, the front housing portion is deformed and snapped
onto the back housing portion, the container is securely held and
the assembly is complete.
Additionally, there is provided a front housing pump slot 53
which runs from -the back of the front housing to a pradetermined
location so tha~ when the front housing portion is slipped over the
container and snapped in place, the pump extends through that slot.
A back housing pump securing blade 5~ is pro~ided to complete slot
53 as i8 shown in FIG. 4 so that the dispvsable pump i5 secured in
place as is the entire assembly.
Refecring to FI&. 9 there is illustrated in ~ide elevation and
full section form a second preferred embodiment of the present
invention. Fluid-dispensing apparatus 60, while similar in numarous
respects to the combination of housing 10, container 11 and pump ~2,
is also different in several significant ways. Dua to -the
similarity in design, construction and functîon between these two
embodiments, only the difEerences will be described in de-tail
hereinafter. It is to be understood as to those facets which are
similar between the two embodiments as to design and construction,
11
~3~
this similarity is intended to indicate a similarity of use and
function.
Fluid-dispensing apparatus 60 includes in its complete and fully
assembled composition, a fluid container 61, front housing portion
52, back housing portion 63, and pumping mechanism 64. Back housing
portion 63 is assembled in combination with additional features not
previously described with regard to the first embodiment of the
present invention. One such fea~ure involves a foam backing layer
67 which extenas for substantially the full height as well as wid~h
of the back housing por~ion in order to provide both a cushioned
support for the housing against a vertical surface as ~ell as
assuring a secure ~etention r~gardless of slight unevenness or
i~regularities in the vertical wall to which apparatus 60 is
attached. On the opposite side of the back wall portion of back
housing portion S3 is a locking plate 68 which includes an
interlocking feature at its lower end and abutment arms at its
uppermost end.
An additional feature of apparatus 60 is the presence of a
front-facing cover or lens 72 which is heat s~aked at a plurality of
points around its periphery so as to cover window opening 73. As
will be recalled from the prior description of the firs~ embodiment,
~his window opening was lPft open although the lens disclosed in
FIG. 9 in combi~ation with apparatus 60 could equally well be
applied to the construction of the prlor embodiment.
Pumping mechanism 64 includes an elongated spout 74, a pump body
75 and a connecting cap 76. A vinyl hvse 77 is coupled to a
connecting elbow 78 which provides a coupling location at end 79 for
one end of vinyl hose 77 while the opposite end 80 installs into
pump body 75.
As is intended to be understood from the FIG. 9 illustration,
vinyl hose 77 extends down~ardly through the interior of the housing
12
~ ~3~
which is formed by the combination of frsnt housing portion 62 and
back housing portion 63. This vinyl hose exi~s at location 83 and
from that point extends to a remotely positioned foot pump whose
design and operation ~ill be described hereinafter. What is
important to understand at this point is that the manual activation
of the foot pu~p results in sending a pulse of air upwardly through
the vinyl hose and into the connecting elbow 78. By maintaining
air-tight connections and fittings at each point between the foot
pump and the interior of container 61, it should be appreciated that
the pressure provided by this pulse of air from the foot pump, once
introduced into ~he interior of container 61, results in forcing ~
portion of the liquid contents of the container up and out through
spout 74.
As should be understood, connecting elbow 78 provides a
right-angle turn so as to connect the vertically extending vinyl
hose with the horizontal inle~ 84 of pump body 75. A corner
projection 85 of the connecting elbow is utilized for secure
attachment of the elbow to the back housing portion 63 of apparatus
60. As is illustrated, the connecting elbow 78 includes an interior
hollow passageway extending the full length of the elbow and this
passageway in turn communicates with a cen~ral clearance passageway
in inlet 84. In turn, the passageway of inlet 84 is in open
communication wi~h annular chamber 86 as well as the interior 87 of
container 61. ~lthough annular chamber 86 is conce~tric with spout
inlet portion 88, the upper end of chamber 86 is clQsed such that
any entering air, via the remotely loca~ed foot pump, is ultimately
forced into the interior 87 of container 61.
Due to the fact that the spout 74, pump body 75, connecting cap
76 and inlet 8~ are of a molded, homogeneous and uni~ary
construction, there is no opening or other leakage permitted except
at the exi~ing open end of spout 74~ Once connecting cap 76 is
13
securely seated and sealed against the top opening 69 of container
61, the entering air which pushes downwardly on the tsp surface of
any liquid within the container results in forcing that liguid up
and out through spout 74. Consequently, for each stream or pulse of
air which is delivered ~hrough hose 77, a metered amount of liquid
will be dispensed from spout 74. Clearly, the larger the pulse of
air which is received and the more rapidly a chain of pulses are
received, the greater the amount of liquid which is pushed out
through spou~ 74. In this manner, a user of apparatus 60 can govern
the amount of licluid which he wishes to receive from the outlet of
the spout as well as the rate at which this liquid will be
received. Control of this is solely by means of the remotely
loca~ed foot pump whose operation will be described he~einafter.
As is well known in ~he art and is to be understood from the
illustration and descrip~ions pLovided, the entering pulses of air
enter a sealed chamber thereby increasing the pressure in the zone
or area directly above the top surface of the liquid level within
the container. By means of plas~ic extension tube 91, which is
press-fit into spout inlet portion ~8 and extends from that location
~o a location adjacent th~ bo~tom surface of the container. the
increase in air pressure entering the zone above the liquid contents
of ~he container forces the liquid in a downwardly direction and as
a result, pushes liquid up through ex~ension tube 91 into spout
inlet portion 88 and on to ~he outlet of spou~ 74. Connecting cap
76 assembles to the outle~ of container ~1 by means of a snap-fit
receip~ by means of an inwardly directed flange edge which is
annular in shape and surrounds the interior surface of the lower
ed~e of the cap. This flange edge is received by an outwardly
projecting annular lip portion on the container neck that is
disposed beneath ~he exterior threads on the container neck and
above the D-shaped flange 92 which is received by flange sleeve 93.
14
~n3~
The assembly of the connecting cap to the container and thus the
assembly of the pump is quick and efficient and is completed by
merely a forced assembly which snaps together thereafter securely
retaining the connecting cap over the open mouth o~ the container
and around the container's external threads. A further feature
which results in an enclosed air chamber disposed above the liquid
contents of ~he container is the presence of a foam gasket ~4 which
is of an annular ring shape and secured to the upper portion of the
connecting cap such that when the cap is snapped onto the container
neck, the foam gasket is compressed tigh~ly against the top rim of
the container mouth thereby sealing in an air-tight fashion the
connection between the interior contents of the container and the
spout.
Referring to FIGS. 10 and 11, there a~e illustrated additional
featu~es of the present invention which although included in the
FIG. 9 illustcation are more easily visualized by the FIG. 10 and
FIG. 11 illustrations.
In FIG. 10, what is disclosed is the construction of the back
housing por~ion as viewed in front elevation form with the front
housing portion and the containe~ removed. Due ~o the fact that
this par~icular back housing po~tion 63 is very similar to that
already disclozQd and di~cussed with regard to the ~irst embodiment
of the present invention, only ~hose features which are of
particular additional novelty or in some manner different than what
has already been desribed will be discussed herein. One feature
which is usable with either the construction of the first embodimen~
of the present invention or with this embodiment is the p~esence of
a locking plate 68 which has a Y-shaped or yoke configuration
includes a handle portion 97 and two oppositely disposed arms 98 and
99. As should be unders~ood from the FIG. 10 and FIG. 11
illustrations, locking plate 68 is oriented in an unlocked
32~
condition. This is evidenced by lower locking portion 100 being in
an ex~ended orientation below the bo~om edge of the back housing
portion. From the side elevation and full section view of FIG. 11,
it should be understood that this locking portion is configured in
such a manner such that with the front housing portion attached to
the back housing poction and the locking plate in this unlocked
condition, upward pressure on locking portion 100 forces the entire
locking plate in an upward direction and results in the locking
portion 100 snapping into a combina~ion fi~ at the lower rear edge
of the front housing portion and back housing portion as is
illustra~ed in FIG. 9.
The locking concept by utilization of locking plate 68 is
accomplished in part by the fact that for the front housing portion
to snap into an assembled combination with the back housing portion,
the fron~ housing portion mus~ be inwardly compressed so that its
mating locking ridges are able to snap into locking slots 101, in
virtually the same manner as previously described for locking slots
46 and locking ridges 48. Once the front housing portion is snapped
into its assembled combina~ion with the back housing portion, upward
pressure on locking portion 100 causes the Y-shaped configllration of
plate 68 as it pushes upwardly to also push outwardly against the
wall of the front housing portion 6Z. This is best illustrated by
the fact that aems 98 and 99 diverge outwardly as they extend
downwardly in the direction of handle 97. Consequently, as they are
pushed upwaedly and are restricted from moving inwardly by support
flangQs 106 which support flange slee~e 93, the only means to
accommodate the increasing wid~h across the outer edges of aems 98
and 99, as this upward motion continues, is for the arms themselves
to be compressed inwardly thus applying a greater outwardly directed
force ~oward the side wall of the front housing portion which has
been snapped into locking slots 101. This upward force and
16
increasing pressure continues until such time as locking portion 100
arrives at its interlocked position a~ the lower rear edge of the
front housing portion and back housing portion assembly.
Referring to FIG. 12, a release key is illustrated which is
designed to engage the locking portion of the locking plate so as to
lower it out of its force-fit engagemen~ against the sides of the
front housing portion thereafter allowing the front housing portion
to be compressed for disassembly and thereafter change the contents
of the container. Without such a release key, it is virtually
impossible to pull the locking plate downwardly in order to allow
this ~elease, and unless the pla~e is so moved in a downwardly
direction, it is not possible without damage or other destruction to
compress the side walls of the front housing portion so as to take
it out of locked engagement with locking slots 101. In this manner
a fully inserted locking plate serves to lock the front and back
housing portions togather.
Also illustrated in FIG. 10 is the fact -tha~ vinyl hose 77 is
retained in its orientation from its point of connection to
connecting elbow '~8 downwardly along ~he side of the container and
out through an opening at location 83 in the bottom of the front
housing portion and back housing portion. As is illustrated,
connecti~g elbow 78 is rotated slightly o~f of vertical so as to
begin the orientation of vinyl hose 77 at a slight angle. To retain
the hose in it~ desired orientation within the front and back
housing po~tions, two clips 102 and 103 are provided into which the
vinyl hose may be easily depressed wi~hout undue contraction or
restriction allowing it ~o be held in i~s desired orientation
without reducing its cross-sec~-lonal area to any appreciabla degree
that might interfere with the pumping of air through the hose.
It is to be understood that locking plate 68 is equally usable
with either embodiment of the present invention. It is dascribed as
17
~ ~3~
part of those figures relating primarily to the second e~bodiment,
but it should be unde~stood that due to the large number of
~imilarities and in -fact identities between the fron~ and back
housing portions of the two embodiments, the addition of locking
plate 68 to the first embodiment is an addition which can be easily
made. Since its function is unaffected by the style of pumping
mechanism, manual or foot-operated, those facets of the present
invention which primarily distinguish the first embodiment from the
second, do no~ affect the addition of the locking plate and its
utilization to lock the front housing portion to the back housing
portion when the dispensing apparatus in use.
Referring to FIG. 13, foot pump 109 is illustrated in greater
detail by means of a side elevation view in full section. Foot pump
109 includes as basic component parts base 110, deformable cover 111
and surrounding retainer 112 which provides a type of clamping
action to retain cover 111 in position over base 110. As is
illustrated, threaded fasteners are utilized to secure base 110 to
retainer 112 thereby sandwiching and clamping cover flange 113 in
position. As is intended to be illustrated, though not necessarily
fully described by the full section view of FIG. 13, cover 111 i~ a
dome-shaped structure, par~-spherical in nature while base 110 and
retainer 112 are of annular shape. Vinyl hose 7~ couples to foot
pump 109 by means of tube 1~ whose hollow interior passageway 115
communica~es directly with the hollow interior 116 of ~he foot
pump. By creating a sealed configura~ion by the clamping action
around the flange of cover 111, and by providing a single outlet
through passageway 115, it is to be understood that by deforming
cover 111, the volume of air contained within in~erior cavity 116 is
reduced by pushing a portion of the air up through passageway 115
and in turn through hose 77 and on up to pumping mechanism 64 as has
been previously disclo~ed and described.
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3~L
In o~der to renew the air supply within interior cavity 116, a
one-way valve construction is provided by means of inlet 119 and
floa~ing ball 120. When cover 111 is deformed by applying pressure
by one's foot, the air within interior cavity 116 is pushed out
through passageway 115 and at the same time pushes against ball 120
thereby sealing closed inlet 119. However, when the deforming
pressure on the outer surface of cover 111 is released, the
resiliency of the polyurethane ma~erial used for the cover returns
the cover to its original dome-like shape thereby creating a vacuum
or suction force sufficient in magnitude to lift upwardly on ball
120 thereby allowing a fresh supply of air to enter through inlet
119. Entry of air th~ough inlet 119 represents the path of least
resistance for the p~essure differential between the inte~ior cavity
11~ and the outside atmosphele to be satisfied. Consequen~ly, there
is no effect as to the air pressure existing within the sealed
compartment of containeL 61 and pumping mechanism 64. Consequently,
there is a renewed air supply for the interior cavity 116 on an
almost instant basis thereby allowing the user of fluid-dispensing
apparatus 60 to again by means of his foot compress or deform cover
111 sending another pulse of air ~hrough vinyl hose 77. As
previously indicated, this procedure can be ~ep~a~ed over and over
again and in rapid succession thereby forcing a pulsating stream of
the liquid content~ Erom container 61 out through ~pou~ 74.
Both the front housing portion as ~ell as the back housing
portion, the locking plate, an the pumping mechanism (excluding
connecting elbow 78) are of a molded plastic construction with each
piece being of a homogenous and unitary configuration. This
particular aspect o~ the construction contributes to its low cost,
reliability and suitability for its intended purpos~.
While the invention has been illustrated and described in detail
in the dLaw;ng6 and foregoing description, the same is to be
19
3~
considered as illus~crative and not restrictive in charac'cer, it
being unde~stood that only ~he preferred embodiment has been shown
and described and that all changes and modifications that come
within the spi~it of the invention are desired to be protected.
