Note : Les descriptions sont présentées dans la langue officielle dans laquelle elles ont été soumises.
PUMP ASSEMBLY
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
The present invention relates to a pump assembly
which has a container Eor storing a liquid such as a cheml~
cal solution in isolation from ambient air so that the
.stored liqu:Ld will be protected from being modified, e.g.,
oxidi~ed, and which can discharge the stored liquld from khe
contalner while the liquld :Ls belng isolated Erom amblen-t
air.
One known pump assernbly is shown in FIG. 5 of the
accompanying drawings.
The pump assembly shown ln FIG. 5 comprises a sub-
stantially cylindrical container a with open opposite ends,
a pump b mounted in the upper end of the container a, and a
gasket c slidably inserted in the other bottom end of the
container a. wi-th the pump b mounted in the upper end of
the container a, a li~uid X such as a chemical solution is
filled in the contalner a through the bottom end thereof,
and thereafter the gasket c is inserted into the container a
until the gasket c contacts the surface oE the li~uid X.
The li~uid X is now sealed in the container a ln lsolation
frorn ambient air. Af-ter the liquid X ls sealed in the con-
tainer a, the bottom end of the con-tainer a is closed by an
air-permeable bottom l:Ld d.
The pump b rnay be a pump disclosed in Japanese
Laid-Open Patent Publication No. 61(1986)-263668, for
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example. When a presser e of the pump b is pressed by a
finger, the pump b draws in the liquid X from the container
a through a suction port f and e~ects the liquid X ~rom an
outlet port ~. The suction port f of the pump b which is
installed in the upper end of the container a extends
through a neck h on the upper end thereof and is immersed in
, the liquid X.
; When the liquid X ln the container a is drawn and
e~ected out oE the container a by the pump b, the gasket c
slides toward the pump b while in contact with the surface
of the liquid X as the amount of the s-tored liquid X is
, progresslvely reduced. Therefore, the liquid X stored in
the container a remains sealed, l.e., in isolakion from the
ambient air, and is prevented from being modified, e.y.,
' oxidized by contact with the ambient air.~
- While the liquid x sealed in the container a
', remains isolated ~rom the ambient air, air often tends to
'' flow into the ccntainer a when the liquid X is introduced
" into the container a. The air Y, which enters into the con~
tainer a when the liquid X is filled, is trapped between the
suc-tion port f of the pump b and the neck h, and cannot
easily removed from the container,a after the liquid X has
been sealed in the container a.
ThereEore, the liquid X in the contalner a rnay be
oxidlzed by the trapped alr Y. To prevent such oxld:lzat:Lon
of the, liquld X, :lt has been necessary to replace the air X
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with a nitrogen gas when the liquid X is sealed. Such a
replacing procedure is however tedious and time-consumin~.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
It is an object of the present invention to provide
a pump assembly for e~ecting a liquid such as a chemical
solution frorn a con-tainer while isolatiny the liquid from
arnbien-t air, the pump assembly having a mecha.nisrn which can
easily remove air, which ls trapped in the container when
khe liquid is ~illed and sealed in the container, from the
container a~-ter the liquid is sealed in the con-tainer.
According to the present invention, there is pro-
vided a pump assembly comprising a subs-tantially cylindrical
container for storing a liquid therein, the container having
open opposite ends, a pump mounted on one end of the con-
tainer and having a suction port for drawing the liquid from
the container and an outlet port for discharging the liquld,
a gasket slidably inserted in the opposite end of the con-
tainer in contact with the llquld stored in the container,
for sealing the liquid in the container, the gasket being
slidable toward the pump when the liquid stored in the con-
tainer is reduced by -the pump, and a slanted portion dis-
posed in the one end oE the container and havlng a slan-ted
surface extending continuously from an inner peripheral sur-
face oE the container and converging away frolll the gasket,
t.he suctlon port of the pwnp comrnunlcating with the interior
space of the container substantially at a converging end of
the slanted surface.
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The pUlllp assembly further comprises an inner plug
inser-ted in the one end of the container, the slanted por-
tion being disposed on an end of the inner plug which faces
lnto the container.
The slanted portlon has a pro~ection pro~ecting
outwardly from the container subs-tan-tially at the converging
end, the suc-tlon port being fikted over the pro;ection, the
pro;ection haviny a through hole, the suction port communl-
catirlg with the in-ter:Lor space of the container through the
through hole.
The slanted surface is substantially co~ically
shaped.
According to the present invention, there is also
provided a pump assembly comprising a substantially cylin-
drical container for storing a llquid therein, the container
having open opposite ends, a pump mounted on one end of the
container and having a suction port for drawing the liquid
from the container and an outlet port for discharging the
liquid, a gasket slidably inserted in the opposite end of
the container in contact wlth the liquid stored in the
container, for sealing the liquid in the container, the gas-
lcet being slidable toward the pump when the liquid stored in
the container i.9 gradually discharged ou-t by the pump, and a
slantec] portion disposed in and integral with the one end of
the container arld havirlg a subs-tantially conlcal slanted
sur:Eace extending continuously from an lnner peripheral sur-
face of the container and converging away from -the gaske-t,
the slanted portion having a projection projecting outwardly
from the container substantially at a converging end oE the
slanted surface, the projection havlng a through hole commu-
ni.catlng wlth the interior space of the container, the suc-
tion por-t belng fitted in the through hole such that a tip
end of the suction port lies substantially flush with the
converging erld oE the slan-ted surface.
Accordlng to the present inven-tlon, there is ~ur-
ther provided a purnp assembly comprising a substantially
cyJ.indrical container for storlng a llquid therein, the con-
tainer having open opposlte ends, a pump mounted on one end
of the contalner and having a suction port for drawing the
liquid ~rom the container and an outlet port for discharging
the liquid, a gasket slidably inserted in;the opposite end
of the container in contact with the liquid stored in the
container, for sealing the liquid ln -the container, the gas-
~et being slidable toward the pump when the liquid s-tored in
the container is gradually discharged out by the pump, and
an inner plug fitted in the one end of the container, the
inner plug havlng a slanted portion dispcsed in an end
thereo~ which faces in-to the container and having a substan-
I:lally conical slanted surface extending contlnuously ~rom
an inner peripheral surEace oE the contalner and converginy
away Erorn the gaske-t, and a projecti~n pro~ecting outwardly
frorn-the container substantially at a converglng end of the
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slanted surface, the projection having a through hole coimnu-
nicating with the interior space of the container, the suc-
tion port being Eitted over -the projec-tion and cornmunicating
with the interior space of the con-tainer.
IE air enters the container when the liquid is
filled and sealed in the container, then the air is trapped
betwe0n the slanted sur~ace and the llquid in the container
and collected along the slanted surface into a region near
the converying end o~ the slanted surface when the con-tainer
is turned upside down so that the purnp is directed upwardly
after the liquid is sealed in the con-tainer. At thls time,
the tip end of the suction port faces the liquid in the con-
tainer across the air substantially at the converging end of
the slanted surface. When the pump is actuated, the air is
drawn along the slanted surface into the~suction port and
then discharged from the outlet port. Thereafter, the liq-
uid stored in the container is drawn into the suctlon port
and discharged from the outlet port. As the liquid is grad-
ually discharged out of the container, the gasket is caused
to slide toward the pump while in con-tac-t with the s-tored
liquid, which is therefore kept in isolation frorn ambien-t
air.
There~ore, any air whlch ls trapped ln th0 con-
talner can easily be removed froln the container when the
pump ls operated aEter -the llquid is sealed in -the
container. Accordin~ly, the liquid sealed in the container
can be s-tored in the container withou-t being contacted by
air.
If the slanted por;tion is provided by the inner
plug to be inserted in the end of the con-tainer on which the
pump ls mounted, then the pump assembly of the lnvention can
be used with any of various containers when the inner plug
is fitted in the end of the container used. ~herefore, any
-trapped alr can be removed by the pump from any of th~se
various containers.
I the suc-tion port of the pump is fitted over the
pro~ectlon pro~ecting outwardly from the container substan-
tially ak the converging end of the slanted surface and ls
held in communlcation with the interior space of the con-
tainer through the through hole defined in the pro~ection,
then since the tip end of the suction port is isolated from
the interior space of the container by the slanted portion,
the tip end of the suction port is prevented from contacting
the llquid in the container before the trapped air is com-
pletely drained from the container. Conse~uently, the air
trapped in the container can fully be removed.
The slanted surface which is substantially conical
in shape may easily be formed in-tegrally wi-th the container
or the inner plug.
The above and other objec-ts, features and advan
tages of the presen-t invention will become more apparent
from the foL:Lowing descriptlon when taken in con~unctlon
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wi-th the accompanying drawings in which preferred embodi-
ments of the present invention are shown by way of illustra-
tive example.
BRIEE' DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
FIG. 1 is a longitudinal cross-sectional view of a
pump assembly according to an embodiment oE the present
inventlon;
FIG. 2 is a fragmentary, partly exploded cross-
sectional view showing the manner in which a liquid is
Eilled and sealed in the con-tainer of -the pump assembly
shown ln FIG. l;
FIG. 3 is a longitudinal cross-sectiorlal vlew o~ a
pump assembly according to another embodiment of the present
1nvention;
FIG. 4 1s a fragmentary, partly exploded cross-
sectional yiew showing the manner in which a liquid is
filled and sealed in the container of the pump assembly
shown in FIG. 3; and
FIG. 5 is a longitudinal cross-sectional view of a
conventional pump assembly.
DETAIEED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS
As shown in FIG. 1, a pump assembly according -to an
ernbodiment oE the present invention comprises a substarl-
ti.ally cylindrical contalner 1 w:lth open opposite ends,
a pWllp 2 mounted on one end (hereirlaEter re~erred to as an
"upper end") of -the container 1 through an adapter 3, for
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drawing and ejecting a liquid X which is Ellled in the con-
tainer 1, a gaske-t 4 slidably inserted ln the other end
(hereinafter referred to as a ~'bottom end") of the contalner
1 whlch is fllled with the liquid X, and a bottom lid 5 fit-
ted in the bottom end of the container 1 in which the gasket
4 is inser-ted. The bottom lid 5 has a ven-t hole 6 through
which a space between the bot-tom lid 5 and the gasket 4 com-
munlcates wlth the ex-terior space of the container 1.
The container 1 has a substan-tially conical slanted
portion 7 on l-ts upper end, the slanted portion 7 being
concen-tric with a barrel portion of the container 1. The
slanted portion 7 has an inner slanted surface B which
extends continuously from the inner peripheral surface oE
the barrel portion of the container 1 and converges upwardly
into a pro;ection 9 projecting upwardly from the center of
the upper surface of the slanted portion 7. The projection
g has a vertical through hole 10 communicating with the
interior space oE the container lo
The adapter 3 is in the form of a hollow cylinder
comprising a larger-diameter portion 11 which is of substan-
tially the same diameter as the container 1 and a smaller-
diameter portion 12 joined concentrically to the
larger-diarneter porkion 11 and having a diameter smaller
than the diame-ter oE the larger-diameter portlon 1].. The
larger~d:Lameter porkion 11 is threaded over an externally
threaded annular wall 13 disposed on and ex~-tending around
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the slante~ portion 7. ~he projection ~ is concen-trically
positioned in the larger-diameter portion 11. The pump 2
has a cylindrical case 14 concentrically threaded over the
smaller-diarneter portion 12 of the adapter 3. In th~s
manner,. the pump 2 is mounted on the upper end of the con-
tainer 1.
The pump 2 is of a construction which is basically
the sarne aæ the pump disclosed in Japanese Laid-Open Patent
Publi.cation Mo. 61(1986)-263668. The pump 2 has a verti-
cally movable presser 5 pro~ecting upwardly from the upper
end of the case 1~, a suction port 17 integral with the
lower distal end o~ a cylinder 16 which is fixed to the case
~ and extends concentrically downwardly from within the
case 14, and an outlet port 18 extending laterally from the
upper end of the presser 15. The suction port 17 is
inserted in the through hole 10 in the pro~ection 9 such
that the lower tip end of the suction port 17 lies flush
with the converging end of the slanted surface 8 of the
slanted portlon 7. The presser 15 is normally urged to move
upwardly by a spring 19 disposed in the cylinder 16. The
cylinder 16 defines therein a pump chamber 20 which can be
pressurized when the presser 15 is depressed. The interior
space of the outlet port 18 comm~ln-lcates with the pump cham~
ber 20 through a valve 21 which is opened when the presser
15 is depressed. The interior space of the suction port 17
communicates with the pump chamber 20 throuyh a valve 22
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which ls opened in response to a reduction in the pressure
in the pump chamber 20 when the presser 15 returns to its
original position under the bias of the spring 19.
When the presser 15 of the pump 2 is depressed by a
finger and then released so as to return to its original
position, the liquid X filled in the container 1 is drawn
through the suction port 17 and the valve 22 into the pump
chamber 20. When the presser 15 is depressed again, the
liquid X which has been drawn into the purnp chamber 20 is
e~ected out of the ou-tlet port 18 through the valve 21.
A process of filling and sealing the liquid X ln
the container 1 wlll now be described with reference to
FIGS. 1 and 2.
To flll and seal the liquid X in the container 1,
the pump 2 ls mounted on the upper end of the container 1,
and, thereafter the container 1 is turned upside down to
direct the upper end thereof downwardly, as shown in FIG. 2.
Then, the liquid X is filled in the container 1 through the
bottom end thereo~ which is now positioned upwardly.
Then, the gasket 4 is inserted into the container 1
through its bottom end until the gasket ~ is brought into
contack with the surface of the liquid X. The liquid X-is
now sealed in the container 1.
Subsequently, the bottom lid 5 is fit-ted into the
bottom end of the container 1, thereby closing the bottom
end. The con-tainer 1 is reversed again to direct its upper
end upwardly, as shown in FIG. 1.
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While -the liquid x is being filled and sealed in
the container 1 as described above, air Y may be trapped in
the container 1. When the upper end o~ the container 1 is
direc-ted upwardly as shown in FIG. 1, the air Y which is
trapped in the container 1 rises in the liquid X and is col-
lected alony the slanted sur~ace 8 -toward the converging end
thereof, i.e., irmnediately below the tlp end of the suction
port 17 o~ the purnp 2. Therefore, the tlp end of the suc-
tion port 17 does not directly contac-t the liquid X, but
~aces the liquid X through the trapped air Y.
Then, the presser 15 ls depressed and released so
as to return to its original position. At this time, the
air Y ls drawn along the slanted sur~ace 8 through the suc-
tion port 17 into the pump chamber 20. When the presser 15
is depressed ayain, the trapped air ~ is dlscharged ~rom the
pump chamber 20 through -the outlet port 18. This process is
repeated to discharge the air Y gradually from within the
slanted portion 7. The gasket 4, while being held in con-
tact with the liquid X, is caused to slide in the container
1, ~orcing the liquid X toward the suction por-t 17. ~t the
same time that the air Y is entirely removed ~rom within the
slanted por-tion 7, the tip end o~ the suctlon port 17 con-
tacts the llquid X in the con-talnér 1. ThereaE-ter, the liq-
uld X is drawn from the suctlon port 17 and e~ected frorn the
ou-tlet por-t 18. ~t this tlrne, the liquid X in -the container
1 :Ls sealed in the con-tainer 1 whlle beincJ isolated from,
i.e., out oE contact wlth, -the ambient alr.
With the pump assembly of the present invention,
after the liquid X is filled and sealed in the container 1,
the pump 2 is operated to discharge the air Y which may be
trapped in the container 1 when the liquid X is filled in
the container 1. Therefore, the liquid X ls stored in the
container 1 in isolatlon from the ambient alr, and can be
discharged from the container 1 when necessary.
A pwnp assembly according to another embodiment of
the present lnventiorl is shown in FIGS. 3 and 4.
As shown in FIG. 3, the pump assembly comprises
a substantially cylindrical container 23 with open opposite
ends, a pump 24 mounted on one end (hereinafter referred to
as an "upper end") of the container 23 through a~ adapter
Z5, a gasket 26 slidably inserted in the other end
(hereinafter referred to as a "bottom end"~ of the contalner
23 which is filled with the liqu~d x, and a bottom lid 27
fitted in the bottom end of the container 1 ~n which the
gasket 26 is inserted. The bottom lld 27 has a vent hole
28, as wlth the bottom lid 5 shown in FIG. 1.
The pump 24 is of the same structure as the pump 2,
and has the presser 15, the suction port 17, and -the outlet
port 18.
The upper end of the container 1 opens outwardly
through a neck 29 whose diameter is slightly smaller than
the diameter of the barrel portion o~ the container 1.
hollow inner plug 30 having an open upper end is inserted in
~ 13 ~
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-the neck 29. The inner plug 30 has a lateral Elange 30a on
its upper end, which engages the upper end of the neck 29.
The inner plug 30 has a substantially conical
slanted portion 31 on its lower end, the slanted portion 31
belng of the same configuration as the slanted portion 7
shown ln FIG. 1. With the inner plug 30 fitted ln the neck
29, the slanted portion 31 has an inner slanted surface 32
which extends continuously from the inner peripheral surface
of khe barrel portion of the con-tainer 23 and the neck 29
and converges upwardly in-to a pro~ectlon 33 pro~ecting
upwardly from the center o~ khe slanted por-tion 3i. The
suctlon port 17 o~ the pump 24 is fitted over the pro~ection
33. The pro~ection 33 has a vertical through hole 34 commu-
nicaking with the interior space of the container 23.
The adapter 25 is of the same profile as the
adapter 3 shown in FIG. 1. The adapter 25 has a larger-
diameter portion 35 whose lower portion is threaded over the
neck 29 of the container 23, with the neck 29 and the inner
plug 30 being concentrically disposed in the larger-diameter
portion 35. The adapter 25 also has a smaller-diameter por-
tion 36 concentrically threaded in the case 14 of the pump
24. In this manner, the pump 24 is mounted on the upper end
of the container 23. The suction port 17 of the pwnp 24 is
fi-tted over the pro~ection 33 such that the lower tlp end oE
the suction port 17 abu-ts against the upper surEace of the
slanted portlon 31 subs-tantially near the converging end o~
the slanted surface 3 2.
'~
An annular member 37 is fixed to the upper inner
peripheral surface of the larger-diameter portion 35 of the
adapter 25. When the larger-diameter portion 35 is threaded
over the neck 29, the annular member 37 and the neck 29
clamp the flange 30a therebetween, thereby securely holdlng
the inner plug 30 in position.
To ~ill and seal the liquld X in the container 23,
the inner plug 30 is fitted in -the neck 29. Then, the liq-
uid X may be ~illed ln the container 23 -throuyh the bottom
end thereo~ and khen sealed therein in the same manner as
described with respect to the container 1 shown in FIG. 1.
Alternatively, as shown in FIG. 4, the gasket 26 is
inserted in the bottom end of the container 23, and the bo-t-
tom end thereof is closed by the bottom lid 27. Thereafter,
t-he liquid X is filled in the container 27 through the neck
29 on the upper end thereof, after which the pump 24 is
mounted on the upper end of the container 23 through the
adapter 25, thus sealing the liquid x in the container 23.
If air Y is trapped in the container 23 when the
liquid X is filled and sealed in the container 23, then the
air Y is connected along the slanted surface 32 -toward a
region directly below the suction port 17 oE the pump 2~.
The pump 24 is then actuated to draw the trapped air Y from
the suction port 17 and dlscharge the air Y from the outlet
: port 1~. The -trapped a:L.r Y can -there~ore be removed from
the container 23.
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Slnce the tip end of the suction port 17 is iso-
lated from the interior space of the container 23 by the
slanted portion 31, the tip end of the suction port 17 is
prevented from contacting the liquid x in the container 23,
failing to remove any remaining trapped air Y, before the
air Y is completsly dralned from the container 23.
Consequently, the air ~ trapped ln the container 23 can
fully be removed.
The slanted portion 31 for collecting any trapped
air Y lnto the region directly benea-th the suction port 17
: is provided by the lnner plug 30 which is fitted in the con-
tainer 23. Therefore, the pump assembly shown in FIGS. 3
and 4 may bs lncorporated ln a contalner whlch has no
slanted portlon on its upper end, as with the container 23,
for the removal of trapped air.
: Although certain preferred embodiments have been
shown and described, it should be understood that many
changes and modifications may be made therein without
departing from the scope of the appended claims.
.
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