Note : Les descriptions sont présentées dans la langue officielle dans laquelle elles ont été soumises.
FOAM PUMP ACTUATOR WITH FOLDING NOZZLE
SUITABLE FOR E-COMMERCE
Cross-References to Related Application
[0001] This application claims priority to United States Utility
Application
Serial No. 16/150,147, entitled "Foam Pump Actuator With Folding Nozzle
Suitable
for E-Commerce," filed on October 2, 2018, and to United States Utility
Application
Serial No. 15/946,436, entitled "Hand Pump With Folding Nozzle," filed on
April 5,
2018.
TECHNICAL FIELD
[0002] This invention relates to actuators for hand operated dispensing
pumps and
more particularly, to actuators for hand operated dispensing pumps that foam
the fluid
being dispensed without the use of aerosol propellants.
BACKGROUND
[0003] Hand operated foam pump dispensers are well known in the personal
care
industry for dispensing foam products. Pumps of this type require that the
liquid and air
be mixed under pressure in a dispenser bottle. Hand operated foam pumps
commonly
include a liquid pump chamber and an air pump chamber. Typically, a piston
moves
between the charge and discharge positions in the air pump chamber and the
liquid pump
chamber to draw air or liquid into the respective chambers and force the air
or the liquid
from the chambers into a mixing region where the mixed air and liquid produce
foam and
the foamed products subsequently exit the nozzle of the actuator.
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[0004] Prior art hand operated foam pumps are typically operated by means
of
trigger action requiring a trigger handle or linear action requiring a push
button
actuator. Both types of mechanisms feature fixed nozzles that protrude from
the sides
of the actuators. The protruding fixed nozzle or trigger of prior art hand
operated foam
pump actuators requires that they be packaged so as to prevent nozzle breakage
during
shipping. This limitation makes prior art hand operated foam pumps generally
unsuitable for use in e-commerce where products are often shipped without
packaging
to prevent breakage and increasingly commonly, without any packaging at all.
[0005] What is needed therefore, to meet the demands of e-commerce, is an
actuator assembly with a nozzle design that does not protrude from the
actuator and
therefore allows for filled products to be shipped with little or no
packaging. It would
be further desirable if the actuator were configured such that it could easily
be locked
into place to prevent actuation during shipping.
SUMMARY
19006.1 The present invention provides a new design for an actuator
assembly
for a hand operated foam pump. The new actuator assembly comprises an
actuator, a folding nozzle and a pump closure. The folding nozzle of the new
actuator assembly eliminates the protrusion of a conventional nozzle or
trigger
handle and thereby helps to prevent the closure of the actuator assembly from
loosening and unlocking during shipping. The folding nozzle of the actuator
assembly of the present invention is configured so as to lock the actuator in
place and
prevent operation of the hand pump when the nozzle is folded. The folding
nozzle of
the actuator assembly substantially reduces pump closure loosening, i.e. the
tendency
of the closure to loosen or separate (i.e. back-off) from the dispenser bottle
due to
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vibration during shipping. Likewise, the folding nozzle substantially reduces
the
likelihood of parts breakage during shipping of a filled product, again by
eliminating
trigger handles or other conventional nozzle types which protrude from the
side of the
actuator.
[0007] The ability of the actuator assembly of the present invention
to resist
loosening and unlocking during shipping is further enhanced by configuring the
folding
nozzle such that it is locked to the actuator via snap tabs when in the folded
position. The
folding nozzle is unfolded after the package is delivered and ready for use.
The ability of
the actuator assembly of the present invention to resist loosening and
unlocking during
shipping is further enhanced by providing an actuator assembly that is free of
any sharp
edges, surface discontinuities or protrusions that may catch on other
containers or
packaging during shipping.
[0007a] Accordingly, in one aspect the present invention resides an
actuator
assembly for a hand operated pump including: an actuator having a hollow body,
a nozzle
having an inlet end and an outlet end with a flow passage therebetween, and a
closure
having a hollow body; wherein the nozzle is configured to attach to the
actuator and fold
between an open and a closed position; wherein the actuator is configured with
an
elliptically shaped perimeter having a recessed, flat rectangular front
surface for receipt of
the nozzle when the nozzle is in the closed position, the actuator having a
closed, sloped
top end and an open bottom end; wherein the actuator includes an internal,
vertically
oriented tube, the tube having a circular interior wall, a radially closed
upper end and a
radially open bottom end, wherein the tube further includes an opening in
fluid
communication with the flow passage of the nozzle at its inlet end; wherein
the closure
includes an elliptically shaped opening configured to correspond to the
perimeter of the
elliptically shaped actuator, wherein the actuator is slideably received
within the
elliptically shaped opening of the closure; means for preventing actuator
depression when
the nozzle is in the closed positon; means for attaching the actuator to a
fluid outlet of a
hand operated pump; means for attaching the closure to a hand operated pump;
and means
for retaining the nozzle in the closed position to prevent inadvertent opening
of the
nozzle.
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[0007b] In another aspect the present invention resides an actuator
assembly for a
hand operated pump including: an actuator having a hollow body, a nozzle
having an inlet
end and an outlet end with a flow passage therebetween, and a closure having a
hollow
body; wherein the nozzle is configured to attach to the actuator and fold
between an open
and a closed position; wherein the actuator is configured with a curved
perimeter having a
recessed, front surface for receipt of the nozzle when the nozzle is in the
closed position,
the actuator having a closed end and an open bottom end; wherein the nozzle
has a raised
finger tab to allow a user to pull the nozzle open from its closed position;
wherein the
actuator includes an internal, vertically oriented tube, the tube having a
circular interior
wall, a radially closed upper end and a radially open bottom end, wherein the
tube further
includes an opening in fluid communication with the flow passage of the nozzle
at its
inlet end; wherein the closure includes a curved opening configured to
correspond to the
curved opening of the actuator, wherein the actuator is slideably received
within the
curved opening of the closure; means for preventing actuator depression when
the nozzle
is in the closed positon; means for attaching the actuator to a fluid outlet
of a hand
operated pump; means for attaching the closure to a hand operated pump; and
means for
retaining the nozzle in the closed position to prevent inadvertent opening of
the nozzle.
[0008] The above and other advantages of the hand pump of the present
invention
will be described in more detail below.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF DRAWINGS
[0009] Fig. 1 is an exploded, perspective view of the actuator assembly
of the
present invention, showing the nozzle in an unfolded position.
[0010] Fig. 2 is a front perspective view of the actuator assembly of
Fig. 1,
showing the actuator in its normally extended position with the nozzle in an
unfolded
position.
[0011] Fig. 3 is a cross sectional view of the actuator of Fig. 1,
showing the
actuator in its normally extended position with the nozzle in an unfolded
position.
[0012] Fig. 4 is a cross sectional view of the actuator of Fig. 1,
showing the
actuator in its fully depressed position with the nozzle in an unfolded
position.
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[0013] Fig. 5 is a cross sectional view of the actuator of Fig. 1, showing
the
actuator in its normally extended position with the nozzle in a folded
position.
[0014] Fig. 6 is a second front perspective view of the actuator of Fig. 1,
showing the actuator in its normally extended position with the nozzle in a
folded
position.
[0015] Fig. 7 is a front perspective view of the actuator of Fig. 1,
showing the
actuator in its normally extended position with the nozzle in an unfolded
position.
[0016] Fig. 8 is a perspective view of a second embodiment of the actuator
assembly of the present invention having an alternative means for locking the
nozzle to
the closure, showing the nozzle in the open position.
[0017] Fig. 9 is a perspective view of the second embodiment of the
actuator
assembly of Fig. 8, showing the nozzle in the closed position.
[0018] Fig. 10 is a cross sectional view of the second embodiment of the
actuator
assembly of Fig. 8, showing the actuator in its normally extended position
with the
nozzle in an unfolded position.
[0019] Fig. 11 is a cross-sectional view of the second embodiment of the
actuator
assembly of Fig. 8, showing the actuator in its fully depressed position with
the nozzle
in an unfolded position.
[0020j Fig. 12 is a cross-sectional view of the second embodiment of the
actuator
assembly of Fig. 8, showing the actuator in its normally extended position
with the
nozzle in a folded position.
[0021] Fig. 13 is a front perspective view of the second embodiment of the
actuator assembly of Fig. 8, showing the actuator in its normally extended
position with
the nozzle in an unfolded position.
[0022] Fig. 14 is a front perspective view of the second embodiment of the
actuator assembly of Fig. 8, showing the actuator in its normally extended
position with
the nozzle in a folded position.
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[0023] Fig. 15 is a front perspective view of the closure of the second
embodiment of the actuator assembly of Fig. 8.
[0024] Fig. 16 is a front perspective view of the nozzle of the second
embodiment of the actuator assembly of Fig. 8.
[0025] Fig. 17 is a front perspective view of an alternative embodiment of
a
nozzle for use with actuator assemblies of the present invention.
[0026] Fig. 18 is a rear perspective view of the nozzle of Fig. 18.
[0027] Fig. 19 is a cross-sectional view of the nozzle of Fig. 18 taken
along the
line 19-19 of Fig. 18.
MODES FOR CARRYING OUT THE INVENTION
[0028] The present invention will now be described more fully hereinafter
with
reference to the accompanying drawings, in which preferred embodiments of the
invention are shown. The invention may, however, be embodied in many different
forms and should not be construed as bell% limited to the embodiments set
forth herein.
Rather these embodiments are provided so that this disclosure will be thorough
and
complete, and will fully convey the scope of the invention to those skilled in
the art.
Like numbers refer to like elements throughout.
First Embodiment
[0029] Referring to Figs. 1-7, the actuator assembly 10 of the present
invention
comprises an actuator 12, a folding nozzle 14 and a pump closure 16. The
actuator
assembly 10 is mounted on a commonly available prior art, hand operated foam
pump
18, typically by means of a snap fit between the pump closure 16 and a pump
body 20
of the hand operated foam pump 18. One such suitable prior art foam pump for
use
with the actuator assembly 10 of the present invention is Pump No. F2
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(httos://www.albea-group.comlen/products/troduet-catalog/f2.html) ,
manufactured by
Albea Group, 1,av du General de Gaulle /ZAC des Barbanniers, Le Signac / 92635
Gennevilliers Cedex, France.
[0030] With continued reference to Figs. 1-7, and particular reference to
Figs. 2
and 3, the pump closure 16 of the actuator assembly 10 is an injection molded
part
having a generally cylindrical body 22 and a generally dome shaped top 24. As
shown
in Fig. 2 and Figs. 3-5, the pump closure 16 is hollow having a generally
cylindrical
interior wall 26, which features a plurality of screw threads 28. The
plurality of screw
threads 28 allow the pump closure 16 to be screwed onto a dispenser bottle
(not
shown). The pump closure includes a circular groove 30 which engages a
circular lip
32 on the pump body 20, i.e. the pump body 20 is attached to the closure 16
via a snap-
fit between the circular lip 32 of the pump body 20 and the circular groove 30
of the
closure 16.
[0031] With particular reference to Fig. 2, the generally dome shaped top
24 of
the pump closure 16 includes a raised retaining wall 34 having a generally
oval shaped
perimeter wherein the retaining wall 34 has an open section 44 which is
bounded at one
end of the retaining wall 34 by a first retaining member 36 and at another end
of the
retaining wall 34 by a second retaining member 38. At the junction of the
retaining
wall 34 and the first retaining member 36 is formed a first snap element 40
and at the
junction between the retaining wall 34 and the second retaining element 38 is
a second
snap element 42.
[0032] As best shown in Figs. 2-5, a region of the dome shaped top 24 of
the
closure 16, interior of the retaining wall 34 is cutaway to form a generally
oval shaped
opening 46 which corresponds to a generally, oval shaped exterior wall 50 of
the
actuator 12. Received within the opening 46 is the actuator 12. The generally
dome
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shaped top 24 of the pump closure 16 further includes a recessed portion 48,
which
serves to allow a user to more easily release the folding nozzle 14, when the
nozzle is
in the folded position.
[0033] With continued reference to Figs. 1-7, the actuator 12 is also an
injection
molded component with a hollow interior. The actuator 12 has an exterior wall
50
having a generally oval shaped perimeter with a recessed portion 52 at a front
end. The
recessed portion 52 is bounded at one end by a first engaging wall 54 and a
second
engaging wall 56 and by an abutment wall 106 which extends between first
engaging
wall 54 and the second engaging wall 56. The recessed portion 52 is configured
to
receive the nozzle 12 when the nozzle is in the folded position.
[0034] The actuator is configured such that it may be slidably received
within the
opening 46 of the pump closure 16, wherein the exterior wall 50 of the
actuator slides
within the retaining wall 34 of the pump closure 16 and the first engaging
wall 54 of the
actuator 16 slidably engages the first retaining member 36 of the pump closure
16; and
wherein the second engaging wall 56 of the actuator 12 slidably engages the
second
retaining wall 38 of the pump closure 16.
[0035] The actuator 12 also features a top portion 62 having a front edge
portion
58 and a rear edge portion 60, where the top portion 62 slopes downwardly from
the
front edge portion 58 to the rear edge portion 60. (Best shown in Figs. 3-5.)
The
sloping top portion 62 assists a user in depressing the actuator with a finger
or thumb.
Formed within the actuator 12 is a generally, centrally located vertical tube
64, having
a wall 72. The wall 72 has a cylindrical interior surface 82. A portion of the
wall 72
forms a face 80 of the recessed portion 52. The wall 72 is of sufficient
thickness in this
area such that the face 80 of the recessed portion 52 is a generally
rectangular flat
surface. The wall 72 is open at a lower inlet end 68, radially closed at an
upper end
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70, and has a rectangular opening 66 disposed adjacent the upper end 70 of the
tube 64,
wherein the rectangular opening 66 extern's through the face 80 of the
recessed portion
52 and the cylindrical interior surface 82 of the wall 72.
[0036] With reference to Fig. 1, the first side engagement wall 54 and the
second
side engagement wall 56 of the actuator 12 are each equipped with a dimple or
small
circular depression 78 adjacent the top edge 58 of the actuator 12. (See Fig.
1.) The
dimples 78 engage with generally circular protrusions 84 located at an inlet
end 86 of
the nozzle 12. When assembled, the generally circular protrusions 84 of the
nozzle 14
snap into the dimples 78 of the actuator 12. The it end 86 of the nozzle 14 is
rounded so as to be rotatable within a matching rounded portion 96 of the
actuator 14.
[0037] With reference to Figs. 1 7, the nozzle 14 of the actuator assembly
10 has
a hollow, generally rectangular body 92, having the inlet end 86, an outlet
end 88, and
a flow passage 90 therebetween. The inlet end 86 has an inlet flow area 87 and
the
outlet end 88 has an outlet flow area 89. In one embodiment, the flow passage
90 has a
constant, rectangular cross-section and, in this case, the inlet flow area 87
and the
outlet flow area 89 are the same. The flow passage 90 may also have a circular
or
square cross-section and may be of other cross-sectional shapes if desired. In
alternative embodiments, the flow passage 90 of the nozzle 14 may have a
varying
cross-section such that, for example, the outlet area 89 is larger than the
inlet area 87.
Figs. 17-19 depict such an alternative embodiment.
[0038] With continued reference to Figs. 1-7, the outlet end 88 of the
nozzle 14
has a front face 98. When the nozzle 14 is in the folded position, the front
face 98
engages the first and second snap elements 40 and 42 of the pump closure 16.
When
assembled to the actuator, the inlet end 86 of the nozzle 14 is in fluid
communication
with the rectangular opening 66 of the tube 64 of the actuator 12.
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[0039] With reference to Figs. 3-5, the actuator assembly 10 is assembled
and
installed on a hand operated foam pump as follows. First, the generally
circular
protrusions 84 of the nozzle 14 snap into the dimples 78 of the actuator 12.
The inlet
end 86 of the nozzle 14 is rounded and fits within the rounded portion 96 of
the
actuator 14. The nozzle is foldable between an open position, (see Fig. 3),
and a
closed position (see Fig. 5.) In the closed position, the front face 98 of the
nozzle 16
engages the first and second snap elements 40 and 42 of the pump closure 16.
[0040] Next, the actuator 12 is slid within the opening 46 of the pump
closure
16. The actuator is configured such that the exterior wall 50 of the actuator
slides
within the retaining wall 34 of the pump closure 16. The first engaging wall
54 of the
actuator 16 slidably engages the first retaining member 36 of the pump closure
16 and
the second engaging wall 56 of the actuator 12 slidably engages the second
retaining
wall 38 of the pump closure 16.
[0041] Subsequently, a stem 100 of a prior art hand operated pump 18 such
as
Pump No. F2 (hups://www.albea-group.comien/pmducts/product-cataloalr2.hunD ,
manufactured by Alba Group, 1,av du Gdneral de Gaulle /LAC des Barbanniers, Le
Signac / 92635 Gennevilliers Cedex, France, is press fit into the inlet end 68
of the
centrally located tube 64 of the actuator 12. The stem 100 of the prior art
hand
operated pump 18 will typically include a shoulder 102. The stem 100 is
pressed into
the centrally located tube of the actuator 14 until the centrally located tube
64 bottom
outs on the shoulder 102 of the stem 100. Next, the pump closure 16 is snap
fit over
the circular lip 32 on the pump body 20, such that the circular lip 32 engages
the
circular groove 30 of the pump closure 16 and thereby secures the pump closure
16 to
the pump body 20. Next, a gasket 104 is placed on the underside of the
circular lip 32
of the pump body 20 and the hand pump 18 is inserted into a dispenser bottle
(not
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shown). The dispenser bottle will typically include external threads and is
secured to
the pump closure 16 by means of mating internal screw threads 28 formed on the
pump
closure 16.
[0042] Typically, the pump actuator assembly 10 of the present invention,
with
the nozzle 14 in the closed position, will be shipped installed on a hand pump
18 and
the resulting assembly attached to a dispenser bottle (not shown). This
configuration is
shown in Fig. 5. It should be noted that with the nozzle 14 folded and locked
into
place, i.e. the front face 98 of the nozzle 14 has engaged the first and
second snap
elements 40 and 42 of the pump closure 16, the actuator 12 cannot be depressed
and
thus the hand pump cannot be operated because abutment faces first, second and
third
abutment facts 108, 110 and 112, of the nozzle 14 (see Fig. 2), abut
corresponding
first, second and third abutment faces 114, 116 and 118 on the pump closure 16
(see
Fig. 2). This ensures against inadvertent operation of the hand pump during
shipping.
[0043] During operation, the nozzle 14 is unfolded or opened. The actuator
12
may then be depressed to operate the hand pump 18. Fig. 4 shows the nozzle 12
in its
fully depressed position. The amount of depression of the nozzle 12 is
determined by
the travel limits of the hand pump 18. The nozzle 14 and the centrally located
tube 64
of the actuator 12 are in fluid communication and the centrally located tube
64 of the
actuator 12 is in fluid communication with the hand pump 18 via the stem 100
of the
hand pump which is in fluid communication with the contents of a dispenser
bottle.
[0044] An actuator assembly 10 comprising a pump closure 16, an actuator
12 and folding nozzle 14, has been presented. The new actuator assembly 10
eliminates the protrusion created by conventional nozzles or trigger handles
of
prior art actuators. The folding nozzle 14 of the new actuator assembly 10
helps
to prevent the closure 16 of the actuator assembly 10 from loosening and
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unlocking during shipping. The folding nozzle 14 of the actuator assembly 10
of the present invention is configured so as to lock the actuator 12 in place
and prevent operation of a hand pump when the nozzle 14 is folded. The
folding nozzle 14 also substantially reduces the likelihood of parts breakage
during
shipping of a filled product, again by eliminating trigger handles or other
conventional
nozzle types which protrude from the side of the actuator.
[0045] The ability of the actuator assembly 10 of the present invention to
resist loosening and unlocking during shipping is further enhanced by
providing an
actuator assembly 10 that is free of any sharp edges, surface discontinuities
or
protrusions that may catch on other containers or packaging during shipping.
Second Embodiment
[0046] Referring now to Figs. 8-16, a second embodiment 210 of the actuator
assembly of the present invention is presented. The second embodiment 210
differs
from the first embodiment 10 in the manner in which the nozzle locks to the
closure.
In all other respects the first and second embodiments function the same and
the
individual components parts, i.e. the nozzle, closure and actuator, have the
same
features.
[0047] Referring to Figs. 8-16, the second embodiment of the actuator
assembly
210 of the present invention comprises an actuator 212, a folding nozzle 214
and a
pump closure 216. The actuator assembly 210 is mounted on a commonly available
prior art, hand operated foam pump 218, typically by means of a snap fit
between the
pump closure 216 and a pump body 220 of the hand operated foam pump 218. One
such suitable prior art foam pump for use with the actuator assembly 10 of the
present
invention is Pump No. F2 (https://www.albea-group.comieniproductsiproduct-
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cata1og1f2.html) , manufactured by Albea Group, 1,av du General de Gaulle /ZAC
des
Barbanniers, Le Signac / 92635 Gennevilliers Cedex, France.
[0048] With continued reference to Figs. 8-14, and particular reference to
Figs. 9
and 10, the pump closure 216 of the actuator assembly 210 is an injection
molded part
having a generally cylindrical body 222 and a generally dome shaped top 224.
As
shown in Fig. 9 and Figs. 10-12, the pump closure 216 is hollow having a
generally
cylindrical interior wall 226, which features a plurality of screw threads
228. The
plurality of screw threads 228 allow the pump closure 216 to be screwed onto a
dispenser bottle (not shown). The pump closure includes a circular groove 230
which
engages a circular lip 232 on the pump body 220, i.e. the pump body 220 is
attached to
the closure 216 via a snap-fit between the circular lip 232 of the pump body
220 and the
circular groove 230 of the closure 216.
[0049] With particular reference to Fig. 9, the generally dome shaped top
224 of
the pump closure 216 includes a raised wall 234 having a generally oval shaped
perimeter wherein the raised wall 234 includes a vertical plate portion 236.
The
vertical plate portion 236 includes a lock bead 238.
[0050] As best shown in Figs. 9-12, a region of the dome shaped top 224 of
the
closure 216, interior of the raised wall 234, is cutaway to form a generally
oval shaped
opening 246 which corresponds to a generally, oval shaped exterior wall 250 of
the
actuator 212. Received within the opening 246 is the actuator 212. The
generally
dome shaped top 224 of the pump closure 216 further includes a recessed
portion 248,
which serves to allow a user to more easily release the folding nozzle 214,
when the
nozzle is in the folded position.
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[0051] With continued reference to Figs. 8-14, the actuator 212 is also an
injection molded component with a hollow interior. The actuator 212 has an
exterior
wall 250 having a generally oval shaped perimeter with a recessed portion 252
at a
front end. The recessed portion 252 is bounded at one end by a first engaging
wall 254
and a second engaging wall 256 and by the vertical wall portion 236 which
extends
between first engaging wall 254 and the second engaging wall 256. The recessed
portion 252 is configured to receive the nozzle 212 when the nozzle is in the
folded
position.
[0052] The actuator is configured such that it may be slidably received
within the
opening 246 of the pump closure 216, wherein the exterior wall 250 of the
actuator
slides within the raised wall 234 of the pump closure 216.
[0053] The actuator 212 also features a top portion 262 having a front edge
portion 258 and a rear edge portion 260, where the top portion 262 slopes
downwardly
from the front edge portion 258 to the rear edge portion 260. (Best shown in
Figs. 10-
12.) The sloping top portion 262 assists a user in depressing the actuator
with a finger
or thumb. Formed within the actuator 212 is a generally, centrally located
vertical tube
264, having a wall 272. The wall 272 has a cylindrical interior surface 282. A
portion
of the wall 272 forms a face 280 of the recessed portion 252. The wall 272 is
of
sufficient thickness in this area such that the face 280 of the recessed
portion 252 is a
generally rectangular flat surface. The wall 272 is open at a lower inlet end
268,
radially closed at an upper end 270, and has a rectangular opening 266
disposed
adjacent the upper end 270 of the tube 264, wherein the rectangular opening
266
extends through the face 280 of the recessed portion 252 and the cylindrical
interior
surface 282 of the wall 272.
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[0054] With reference to Fig. 8, the first side engagement wall 254 and the
second side engagement wall 256 of the actuator 212 are each equipped with a
dimple
or small circular depression 278 adjacent the top edge 258 of the actuator
212. (See
Fig. 1.) The dimples 278 engage with generally circular protrusions 284
located at an
inlet end 286 of the nozzle 212. When assembled, the generally circular
protrusions
284 of the nozzle 214 snap into the dimples 278 of the actuator 212. The inlet
end 286
of the nozzle 214 is rounded so as so be rotatable within a matching rounded
portion
296 of the actuator 214.
[0055] With reference to Figs. 8-16, the nozzle 214 of the actuator
assembly 210
has a hollow, generally rectangular body 292 having the inlet end 286 and an
outlet end
288 and a flow passage 290 therebetween. The inlet end 286 has an inlet flow
area 287
and the outlet end 288 has an outlet flow area 289. In one embodiment, the
flow
passage 290 has a constant, rectangular cross-section and, in this case, the
inlet flow
area 287 and the outlet flow area 289 are the same. The flow passage 290 may
also
have a circular or square cross-section and may be of other cross-sectional
shapes if
desired. In alternative embodiments, the flow passage 290 of the nozzle 214
may have
a varying cross-section such that, for example, the outlet area 289 is larger
than the
inlet area 287. Figs. 17-19 depict such an alternative embodiment.
[0056] The hollow, generally rectangular body 292 of the nozzle 214 is
equipped
with left and right locking grooves 240 and 242 at its outlet end 288 (see
Fig. 16). The
nozzle 214 also features a centrally located raised semi-circular portion 243
at its outlet
end 288. The raised semi-circular portion 243 is formed on the front face 298
of the
nozzle 216 and is configured such that a user may slide his or her finger-tip
under the
raised semi-circular portion 243 to lift or pry the nozzle open from its
closed position.
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[0057] When the nozzle 214 is in the folded position, the left and right
locking
grooves 240 and 242 engage the lock bead 238 of the pump closure 216. When
assembled to the actuator, the inlet end 286 of the nozzle 214 is in fluid
communication
with the rectangular opening 266 of the tube 264 of the actuator 212.
[0058] With reference to Figs. 10-12, the actuator assembly 210 is
assembled and
installed on a hand operated foam pump as follows. First, the generally
circular
protrusions 284 of the nozzle 214 snap into the dimples 278 of the actuator
212. The
inlet end 286 of the nozzle 214 is rounded and fits within the rounded portion
296 of
the actuator 214. The nozzle is foldable between an open position, (see Fig.
10), and a
closed position (see Fig. 12.) In the closed position, the left and right
locking grooves
240 and 242 of the nozzle 216 engage the locking tab 238 of the pump closure
216.
[0059] Next, the actuator 212 is slid within the opening 246 of the pump
closure
216. The actuator is configured such that the exterior wall 250 of the
actuator slides
within the raised wall 234 of the pump closure 216.
[0060] Subsequently, a stem 300 of a prior art hand operated pump 218 such
as
Pump No. F2 (htips://www.albea-group.comieniproductsipmduct-catalog/12.html) ,
manufactured by Alb& Group, 1,av du General de Gaulle /ZAC des Barbanniers, Le
Signac / 92635 Gennevilliers Cedex, France, is press fit into the inlet end
268 of the
centrally located tube 264 of the actuator 212. The stem 300 of the prior art
hand
operated pump 218 will typically include a shoulder 302. The stem 300 is
pressed into
the centrally located tube of the actuator 214 until the centrally located
tube 264 bottom
outs on the shoulder 302 of the stem 300. Next, the pump closure 216 is snap
fit over
the circular lip 232 on the pump body 220, such that the circular lip 232
engages the
circular groove 230 of the pump closure 216 and thereby secures the pump
closure 216
to the pump body 220. Next, a gasket 304 is placed on the underside of the
circular lip
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232 of the pump body 220 and the hand pump 218 is inserted into a dispenser
bottle
(not shown). The dispenser bottle will typically include external threads and
is secured
to the pump closure 216 by means of mating internal screw threads 228 formed
on the
pump closure 216.
[0061] Typically, the pump actuator assembly 210 of the present invention,
with
the nozzle 214 in the closed position, will be shipped installed on a hand
pump 218 and
the resulting assembly attached to a dispenser bottle (not shown). This
configuration is
shown in Fig. 12. It should be noted that with the nozzle 214 folded and
locked into
place, i.e. the left and right locking grooves 240 and 242 of the nozzle 214
have
engaged the lock bead 238 of the pump closure 216, the actuator 212 cannot be
depressed (see Fig. 12). This feature ensures against inadvertent operation of
the hand
pump during shipping.
[0062] During operation, the nozzle 214 is unfolded or opened. The actuator
212
may then be depressed to operate the hand pump 218. Fig. 11 shows the nozzle
212 in
its fully depressed position. The amount of depression of the nozzle 212 is
determined
by the travel limits of the hand pump 218. The nozzle 214 and the centrally
located
tube 264 of the actuator 212 are in fluid communication and the centrally
located tube
264 of the actuator 212 is in fluid communication with the hand pump 218 via
the stem
300 of the hand pump which is in fluid communication with the contents of a
dispenser
bottle.
[0063] A second embodiment of an actuator assembly 210 comprising a
pump closure 216, an actuator 212 and folding nozzle 214, has been presented.
The new actuator assembly 210 eliminates the protrusion created by
conventional
nozzles or trigger handles of prior art actuators. The folding nozzle 214 of
the
new actuator assembly 210 helps to prevent the closure 216 of the actuator
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WO 2019/194864 PCT/US2018/054935
assembly 210 from loosening and unlocking during shipping. The folding nozzle
214 of the actuator assembly 210 of the present invention is configured so as
to lock the actuator 212 in place and prevent operation of a hand pump when
the nozzle 214 is folded. The folding nozzle 214 also substantially reduces
the
likelihood of parts breakage during shipping of a filled product, again by
eliminating
trigger handles or other conventional nozzle types which protrude from the
side of
the actuator.
[0064] The ability of the actuator assembly 210 of the present invention to
resist loosening and unlocking during shipping is further enhanced by
providing an
actuator assembly 210 that is free of any sharp edges, surface discontinuities
or
protrusions that may catch on other containers or packaging during shipping.
[0065] With reference to Figs. 17-19, an alternative embodiment of the
nozzle
314 is shown. The general principles of the configuration depicted in this
embodiment
may be used with both actuator assemblies 10 and 210. The nozzle 314 has an
inlet end
386 and an outlet end 388. The inlet end 386 has an inlet flow area 387 and
the outlet
end 388 has an outlet flow area 389. In nozzle 314, the outlet flow area 389
is larger
than the inlet flow area 287, i.e. the flow passage 390 of the nozzle 314 has
a varying
cross-section, in this case a tapered cross-section 392 as shown in Fig. 19.
This
configuration where the outlet flow area is larger than the inlet flow area
causes a
pressure drop from the inlet to the outlet, which causes the foam to be
dispensed at a
reduced velocity at the outlet, than would be the case with a nozzle have a
constant
flow passage cross-section. Reducing the outlet velocity of the foam being
dispensed is
often desirable with certain types of foam because with certain foams a lower
outlet
velocity will improve the quality of the foam being dispensed.
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INDUSTRIAL APPLICABILITY
[0066] This invention is an actuator assembly for a hand pump that may be
industrially applied to the packaging and transport of threaded containers or
bottles
containing foamable liquids. The actuator assembly includes an actuator, a
foldable
nozzle and a closure, wherein the assembly includes snap-lock retaining
features
that secure the nozzle against inadvertent opening when in the folded
position.
[0067] While the present invention has been described with regards to
particular
embodiments, it is recognized that additional variations of the present
invention may be
devised without departing from the inventive concept.
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