Note: Descriptions are shown in the official language in which they were submitted.
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A CONTAINER APPARATUS FOR
STORING AND DISPENSING LIQUID
[001] This invention relates to a container and pump, integrally or separately
formed, whereby the pump is used to pump liquid, such as gasoline, out of the
container into a dispensing hose.
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
[002] Containers for storing and dispensing liquids, such as gasoline, have
been
around for as long as there has been a storage or dispensing need.
[003] The problem with many containers of the prior art is that most
containers use
the same simple opening for the filling up the container and for the
dispensing of
liquid from the container.
10041 In its most rudimentary design, this involves simply a container with an
opening that is closed by securing a threaded cap. When the cap is removed, a
funnel
is often placed onto the receiving container at its opening and liquid is
added to that
container through the funnel. Alternatively when the user wants to remove or
dispense liquid from the container, the cap is removed and often a neck-shaped
spout
is attached to the container at the opening so that the user can lift the
container and
pour liquid out of the container through the spout. This operation, although
simple to
contemplate, can be difficult to execute.
[005] Various proposals have been developed so that the container does not
have
to be lifted during use. Pumps have been added to the containers so that the
container
does not have to be lifted. Hand pumps, which the user flexes a handle,
plunger or
trigger, to create suction or pressure through a dispensing tube have been
made.
These hand pumps can require an exhaustive effort on the part of the user as
s/he has
to pump with her/his hand and, as well, pressure can be required to be
maintained
within the container so that, as the user pumps, pressure is increased and the
liquid is
drawn or pushed through the delivery tube from the container. If the container
is not
pressurized, it often has to be elevated above the outlet of the dispensing
device to
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ensure delivery. The effort of the user required to hand pump and place the
container
at a suitable elevation, or the design requirements of a container which
maintains
pressure to make the hand pump operative are all problems of the prior art.
[006] Foot pumps have been proposed so that the user does not have to exhaust
his/her hand power, but the problems of the container design or placement have
usually remained.
[007] It is an object of the present invention to overcome these problems of
the
prior art by providing a container, which permits the easy dispensing of
liquid.
[008] It is another object of the present invention to provide a container
having a
foot pump that does not require the storage chamber of the container to be
pressurized
during operation and which does not require the container to be placed at an
elevation
above the elevation of the dispensing handle during use.
[009] It is another object of the present invention to provide a container
having a
foot pump that does not require great effort on the part of the user to pump
liquid
from the container.
[0010] It is another object of the present invention to provide a foot pump
that can
be used with a liquid storage/dispensing container with its storage chamber
not being
pressurized to pump liquid out of the container without having to consider the
elevation of the container during the dispensing process.
[0011] It is another object of the present invention to provide a foot pump
that can
be either integrally or separately formed with the container to deliver liquid
from the
storage chamber of the container that is simple in design, economical to make
and
simple to operate.
[0012] It is yet another object of the present invention to provide a pump
which can
attached to a container for dispensing the liquid stored therein, all the
while achieving
ease of use.
[0013] Other objects will become apparent on reading the specification.
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SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
[0014] According to one aspect of the present invention, there is provided a
container apparatus having a container housing and a foot pump means for
pumping
liquid connected to the container housing. The container housing has a storage
chamber for storing liquid and an opening through which liquid is added into
the
storage chamber. The foot pump means has a chamber wall defining a pump
chamber
with an pump chamber entrance opening and a pump chamber exit opening. The
container housing has an exit opening in fluid communication with the pump
chamber
entrance opening to permit liquid in the storage chamber to be drawn and
pumped into
the pump chamber through the pump chamber entrance opening and out of the pump
chamber through the pump chamber exit opening by operation of the foot pump
means. There is a valve means comprising a one-way check valve mounted between
the storage chamber and the pump chamber to permit operation of the foot pump
means, there being an air means to permit the drawing of air into the storage
chamber
as liquid is being pumped out of the storage chamber by use of the foot pump
means.
[0015] According to another aspect of the present invention, there is provided
a
container apparatus having a container housing and a bellows foot pump means
for
pumping liquid connected to the container housing. The container housing has a
storage chamber for storing liquid and an opening through which liquid is
added into
the storage chamber. The bellows foot pump means has a chamber wall defining a
pump chamber with a pump chamber entrance opening and a pump chamber exit
opening. The container housing has an exit opening in fluid communication with
the
pump chamber entrance opening to permit liquid in the storage chamber to be
drawn
and pumped into the pump chamber through the pump chamber entrance opening and
out of the pump chamber through the pump chamber exit opening by operation of
the
bellow foot pump means. There is a valve means comprising a one-way check
valve
mounted between the storage chamber and the pump chamber to permit operation
of
the bellow foot pump means, there being an air means to permit the drawing of
air
into the storage chamber as liquid is being pumped out of the storage chamber
by use
of the bellow foot pump means.
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[0016] According to another aspect of the present invention, there is provided
a foot
pump apparatus comprising: a foot pump means mountable to a container for
drawing and pumping liquid from the container, whereby the foot pump means has
a
housing with an entrance opening for receiving liquid, a pump chamber, and an
exit
opening through which liquid is dispensed. The foot pump apparatus has a
coupling
means for mounting the foot pump means to a container to be in fluid
communication
to the chamber of a container to permit the pumping of liquid from the
container into
the housing through the entrance opening and pump chamber and out the exit
opening. There is a valve means comprising a one-way check valve mounted to
the
foot pump means to regulate the inflow of liquid during use.
[0017] According to another aspect of the present invention, there is provided
a
bellows foot pump apparatus comprising: a bellows foot pump means mountable to
a
container for drawing and pumping liquid from the container, whereby the
bellows
foot pump means has a housing with an entrance opening for receiving liquid, a
pump
chamber, and an exit opening through which liquid is dispensed. The bellows
foot
pump apparatus has a coupling means for mounting the bellows foot pump means
to a
container to be in fluid communication to the chamber of a container to permit
the
pumping of liquid from the container into the housing through the entrance
opening
and pump chamber and out the exit opening. There is a valve means comprising a
one-way check valve mounted to the bellows foot pump means to regulate the
inflow
of liquid for pumping during use.
[0018] BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
[0019] The invention will be more readily understood after reading the
following
description of the preferred embodiments with reference to the following
drawings in
which:
[0020] Figure 1 is a perspective illustration of a first embodiment of this
invention
showing the container having both the housing and the foot pump means attached
to
the housing;
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[0021] Figure 2 is a cross section of the embodiment shown in Figure 1,
illustrating
a preferred configuration of check valves utilized to control flow of liquid
from the
housing chamber and through the foot pump;
[0022] Figure 3 is a cross section of an alternative embodiment to that shown
in
Figures 1 and 2, whereby an air check valve is mounted within the foot pump,
in
combination with the other check valves, to ensure that air is drawn into the
container
housing when liquid is drawn out, during use;
[0023] Figures 4a, 4b and 4c are illustrations of showing the valve member of
Figure 3 having three check valves, including a cross section view (Figure 4a)
and
two perspective views (Figures 4b and 4c);
[0024] Figure 5 is a sectional view showing how, in the preferred embodiment,
the
pump can be designed to permit removal and replacement of a section of the
pump
with the upper member of the pump being shown as disengaged from the base
member of the pump;
[0025] Figure 6 is a sectional view showing a different pump design than that
shown in Figure 5.
[0026] Figure 7 illustrates a foot pump, made in accordance with this
invention, that
is attachable to a conventional liquid container.
[0027] Figure 8 is a perspective view showing the pump of Figure 7 mounted to
a
conventional container.
DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS
[0028] Referring to the drawings, there is shown a container referred to
generally by
the numeral 8 for storing and dispensing liquid, such as gasoline. The
container 8
includes a lift handle 10 for lifting and an extended towing handle 12 for
tilting and
pulling the container along the ground using the wheels 14.
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[0029] The container 8 comprises a housing 16 within which there is a storage
chamber 18 for storing liquid 20. The housing 16 has an opening at 22, covered
by a
threadedly secured cap 24. In the preferred embodiment, the cap includes a
check
valve 25, located at its top, which permits air to be drawn into the housing
16 when
liquid is drawn out of the housing 16 by the pump as described below. It,
however,
will be apparent to those skilled in the art that the same effect, during use
can be
obtained by merely opening the cap during use or providing a small hole
opening in
the can to permit the drawing in of air as liquid is dispensed. The check
valve 25 is
preferable and advantageous, but there are obvious alternatives that would be
apparent
to those in art.
[0030] Liquid 20 is first added into the storage chamber 18 through opening 22
after
cap 24 is removed. Cap 24 is then remounted over opening 22 for storage and
transport. This manner of filling the container 8 is standard.
100311 However, in the embodiments illustrated in Figures 1 to 6, the
container
further comprises a foot pump, which in the preferred embodiment is a bellows
foot
pump, generally referred to by the numeral 26. It will be apparent to those
skilled in
the art that foot pumps, other than bellows foot pumps, such as, for instance,
a simple
resilient single chamber container, which collapses on downward pressure and
reasserts its shape after the release of downward pressure, could also be used
advantageously.
100321 In the embodiments illustrated for Figures 1 to 6, with like parts
having like
numbers unless otherwise noted, the bellows foot pump 26 includes a base
member 28
with a curved wall that is circular in cross section, and an upper bellows
member,
referred generally by the numeral 30, having a resiliently collapsible side
wall 32,
circular in cross section, and a flat top wall 34. Circular is the preferred
embodiment
but alternate design shapes would also be suitable.
[0033] As illustrated in Figure 2 and 3, the upper bellows member 30 is
integrally
formed with the base member 28 to create a pump chamber 40 and as illustrated
in
Figure 5, the upper bellows member 30 is threadedly mountable onto the base
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member 28 using complementary threaded surfaces 36, 38 to create a pump
chamber
40.
[0034] By making the upper bellows member 30 separate and mountable to the
base
member 28, the upper bellows member, which will bear the brunt of the wear and
tear
of usage can easily be replaced after it is worn out without the need to
replace the
entire pump or the entire container. Variations of the separation of these
parts and
their design is possible without deviating from the scope of this invention.
For
instance, in Figure 6, there is illustrated an alternative design of an upper
bellows
member, generally numbered in that drawing as 31, and base member, numbered in
that drawing as 29.
[0035] The bellows pump is connected to the container housing via conduit
member
33, which in the preferred embodiments of 1 to 5 are integrally connected to
the
bellows pump base member 28.
[0036] The bellows foot pump 26 is also formed with an exit opening 42 through
which liquid can be pumped and after it is drawn through the entrance opening
41 into
the bellows chamber 40 from the storage chamber 18, via the passageway of the
conduit member 33, during use by repeatedly pressing downwardly on the flat
top
wall 34 with one's foot and then raising one's foot to let the resilience of
the top
member 30 reassert its shape.
[0037] In the preferred embodiment of Figures 1 and 2, two check valves 44, 45
are
mounted within the pump means. These check valves ensure that the direction of
the
flow of the liquid is maintained from the container housing through the pump,
and
ensure that the pump chamber is properly pressured to achieve this end. Check
valve
25, previously described, ensures that air is introduced into the container
housing 16
as any liquid is removed via the pump.
[0038] Check valves 44, 45 are standard one-way valves used in pumping
operations for liquids and are readily available off of the shelf. The choice
of which
valve to use is a matter of simple choice.
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[0039] The check valve 44 ensures that liquid 20 will not flow back into the
storage
chamber 18 of the container 8 from the bellows chamber 40 once the liquid has
passed from the container housing 16 into the bellows pump 26. When the flat
top
wall 34 is depressed liquid in the bellows chamber 40 is forced out of the
bellows
pump through opening 42 and check valve 44 is forced closed to prevent passage
of
liquid from the bellows pump back into the container housing. When the user
permits the bellows top member to reassert its original shape, check valve 44
is open
and the bellows chamber 40 can refill. Liquid is thereby pumped from the
container.
[0040] A delivery hose 46 with a delivery nozzle 48 is threadedly attached the
bellows pump 26 at the opening 42 with barbed outlet member 49 so that the
user can
direct delivery of the liquid that has so easily been pumped from the
container. The
connection of the dispensing hose to the foot pump is achieved, in the
embodiments
shown in figures 1 and 2, by means of a barbed outlet member 49.
[0041] The check valve 45 ensures that liquid once pumped out of the pump
chamber does not flow back into the pump chamber. As will be apparent, this
particular check valve 45 can be positioned further away from the pump, for
instance,
within the delivery hose 46 or nozzle 48. The positioning of the check valve
45,
providing it is placed to achieve the aforesaid function, is a choice of
design.
Similarly, a choice of design is also where the check valve 44 is disposed.
The check
valve 44 could be disposed within the conduit member 33, the container housing
16 or
the bellows pump 30.
[0042] As an alternative manner of providing for the valve operation of the
pump,
there is illustrated a different valve configuration in Figures 3, 4a, 4b and
4c. There
is a valve control means comprising a valve member, generally referred to by
the
number 70, which extends through the pump from its outlet opening 42 to its
inlet
opening 41. This valve member 70 provides three subsidiary functions to its
main
function of ensuring that the liquid will flow, during use, in only one
direction,
namely from the container housing into the dispensing tube. The three
subsiduary
functions are i) that liquid will flow only in the direction through opening
41 from the
container housing 16 into the pump chamber 40, whereby there is a check valve
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that opens when the resilience of the pump reasserts itself to draw liquid
into the
pump chamber 40 and that closes when downward pressure is exerted by the user
with
his foot onto the pump; ii) that liquid will flow in the direction only
through opening
42 from the pump chamber 40 into the dispensing hose 46, whereby there is a
check
valve 74 that opens when downward pressure is exerted by the user onto the
pump
and that closes when the resilience of the pump reasserts the shape of the
pump to re-
expand the volume of the chamber after downward pressure by the user is
released;
and iii) an air valve 76 with an air-way tube 78 which opens to draw air from
the
outside through the tube and into the passageway of conduit member 33 when
liquid
is being drawn into the pump chamber and which closes to prevent liquid from
leaking through the valve into the atmosphere when the pump is not being used.
Optionally, but preferably an subsidiary air tube 80 is attached to the air-
way tube 78
to more easily introduce the air into the storage chamber 18 proper. It will
be
apparent that when this configuration of a pump valve member is being used no
air
valve, such as that shown at 25, need be attached to the container.
[0043] The check valve 74 ensures that liquid once pumped out of the pump
chamber does not flow back into the pump chamber. As will be apparent, this
particular check valve 74 can be positioned further away from the pump, for
instance,
within the delivery hose 46 or nozzle 48. The positioning of the check valve
74,
providing it is placed to achieve the aforesaid function, is a choice of
design.
[0044] The arrangement of the valve configuration is an issue of design.
[0045] As well, variations in the design of the foot pump is possible as shown
by
the two alternative embodiments of Figures 5 and 6.
[0046] In Figure 6, the bellows pump is shown having an upper bellows member,
here numbered 50, and a lower bellows base member, here numbered 52. In this
embodiment, a top wall seating surface 54 is formed to descend downwardly and
inwardly from the side wall of the base member 52. A threaded surface 58 is
formed
to define the opening 60. The upper bellows member 50 has a complimentary
inner
wall 62 that rests against the top wall seating surface 54 when the threaded
member
70 is threadedly secured within the opening 60 against threaded surface 58. It
will be
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apparent that the upper bellows member 50 is hollow to permit resilience and
suction,
and so that the bellows pump of this embodiment can pump on the same general
principle of operation as the bellows pump of the embodiments previously
described.
[0047] By making the flexible portion of the bellows pump replaceable, it
becomes
easier to repair the container without having to replace the whole
configuration.
Because the flexible portion of the bellows pump is the piece that will bear
the brunt
of wear and tear during normal use, it is advantageous to be able to just
replace this
particular part.
[0048] Throughout, the intricacies of the design of the nozzle and the nozzle
hose to
be used in conjunction with the invention are standard in the industry and are
not
described in detail in this specification, other than to point out that
advantages of ease
of use are achieved.
[0049] In the preferred container embodiment, as shown in Figure 1, where the
pump is located at the base of the container 8, the bellows foot pump is ready
for use
when the container 8 is in an upright position. This has the advantage of the
user
being able to remove liquid from the container without tilting the container
or moving
it.
[0050] However, as in the final embodiment shown, the bellows pump can be
formed completely separate from the container and mounted, providing the
threading
is complementary, directly to a standard liquid container. This is shown in
Figure 8,
with the pump shown in figure 7.
[0051] As shown in those drawings, there is a bellows foot pump 60 mountable
to a
container 8 for storing and dispensing liquid. The bellows foot pump 60 has a
coupling means 22, comprising an 0-ring (not shown) for sealing, and an outer
tightening coupling ring 62, which in the preferred embodiment would be the
existing
container cap that threadedly secures about the threaded opening already
existing on
the can. Once mounted, the liquid can be dispensed by tilting the can so that
the
bellows foot pump 60 is in the operative position as shown in Figure 6, and
liquid can
be pumped, using the afore-described manner for the previous embodiments.
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[0052] There will be a need for an air means to permit the drawing of air into
the
container 8 as liquid is being pumped out of the container by use of the
bellows foot
pump 60 means. If the container to which the bellows foot pump 60 is being
mounted
does not have an air means the bellows foot pump 60 can be provided with an
air
means to meet that need. For instance the coupling means 22 in the assembly
shown
in figure 7 could include an air means opening 23 which could also house a
check
valve which allow or regulate air airflow into the container 8 as fluid is
being pumped
out.
[0053] Several variations will be apparent to those skilled in the art without
deviating from the scope of this invention.
[0054] For instance, the bellows pump can be made integrally to the container
housing or as separably mountable. The advantage of making the bellows pump
separately mountable is that the pump can be replaced without replacing the
whole
configuration.
[0055] In the configuration where the pump means is disposed at the base of
the
container housing, it becomes easier to use a dispensing hose and a dispensing
nozzle
configuration because liquid can be easily pumped, without great effort, take
full
advantage of the nozzle delivery system.
[0056] As well, the advantage of the preferred embodiment shown in Figure 1,
because the container can be used in its upright position, wheels and a
transport
handle make more sense. If the container has to be tiled or lifted for
delivery, the
wheels and transport handle can become a nuisance during use.
[0057] Similarly, with the advantages of using a foot pump that can pump
liquid
from the container housing with the housing in the upright position, still on
the
ground, the use of transport wheels and a handle becomes a more useful
feature. If
the container has to be tilted or lifted to a different elevation for use, the
handle and
wheels can become an awkward hindrance. By being able to pump liquid from the
container while it is in the upright position, as are possible with the
embodiments
shown in Figures 1 to 6, the wheels and pull handle have added benefit.
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[0058] Throughout, the choice of materials used in the composition of the
parts will
be apparent to those skilled in the art. Choices can be made in accordance
with the
desired strength and environmental regulations required.
[0059] It is not intended that this specification be read in a limiting sense,
and the
minor modifications can be made without deviation from the invention. The
scope of
the invention is as defined in the appended claims.
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