Hand-held system for dispensing viscous materials from a flexible pouch and methods of accomplishing the same

Abstract

A dispensing system and method dispensing flowable materials is disclosed. The system includes a hand-holdable dispensing gun, a holder assembly and a flexible pouch holding a flowable material for dispensing metered amounts of that material. The pouch includes an end portion, which is configured to be torn open to create a mouth for the pouch. The holder assembly includes a tubular member having an outlet including a valve. The tubular member has an open end through which the pouch can be introduced and then a piston cover can then be located in the tubular member to hold the pouch in place. The dispensing gun includes a piston to engage the piston cover and force it into engagement with the pouch to eject a metered amount of the flowable material out of the valve upon each actuation of a trigger of the dispensing gun.

What is claimed is: 
     
         1 . A system for dispensing metered amounts of a flowable material from a flexible pouch, said system comprising the flexible pouch, a holder assembly, and a dispensing gun, said pouch comprising a hollow body formed of a flexible sheet material having a pair of panels, each of which includes a pair of side edge portions, a front edge portion and a rear edge portion, said panels being superimposed over each other and secured together along their edges to form a hollow interior for the flowable material, with respective front edge portions of said two panels being secured together by a seal lines having legs extending at a predetermined angle to each other to form a tapering passageway therebetween, said pouch being configured to be opened by removing a portion of said pouch along respective superimposed lines provided in said panels and intersecting said passageway to form a mouth for said pouch, said holder assembly comprising a tubular member having a cylindrical sidewall extending about a hollow interior and front wall having an outlet nozzle, said tubular holder including an open rear portion to expose said hollow interior, said pouch being configured for disposition within said tubular holder with said mouth of said pouch located at said outlet nozzle, said dispensing gun comprising a hollow chamber, a piston and an actuator for moving said piston, said tubular holder with the pouch therein being configured to be disposed in said hollow chamber of said dispensing gun, with said piston extending through said open rear end of said tubular holder to engage said pouch, said actuator being configured to move said piston into engagement with said pouch to force the flowable material out of said pouch through said mouth and said outlet nozzle to dispensing a metered amount of the flowable material from said pouch. 
     
     
         2 . The system of  claim 1  wherein said holder assembly comprises a valve member. 
     
     
         3 . The system of  claim 2  wherein said valve member comprises an elastomeric material disk having at least one slit therein. 
     
     
         4 . The system of  claim 2  wherein said holder assembly additionally comprises a retainer member for holding said valve member in place on said outlet of said tubular member. 
     
     
         5 . The system of  claim 3  wherein said holder assembly additionally comprises a retainer member for holding said valve member in place on said outlet of said tubular member. 
     
     
         6 . The system of  claim 1  additionally comprising a piston cap for disposition within said open rear portion of said tubular member to enclose said pouch therein. 
     
     
         7 . The system of  claim 4  additionally comprising a piston cap for disposition within said open rear portion of said tubular member to enclose said pouch therein. 
     
     
         8 . The system of  claim 5  additionally comprising a piston cap for disposition within said open rear portion of said tubular member to enclose said pouch therein. 
     
     
         9 . The system of  claim 1  wherein said tubular member is formed of polypropylene. 
     
     
         10 . The system of  claim 4  wherein said tubular member and said retainer member are each formed of polypropylene. 
     
     
         11 . The system of  claim 1  wherein said tubular member, said retainer member, and said piston cover are each formed of polypropylene. 
     
     
         12 . The system of  claim 2  wherein said elastomeric disk is formed of thermoplastic elastomer (TPE). 
     
     
         13 . The system of  claim 1  wherein said panels include a pair of aligned notches and wherein said superimposed lines extend between said notches to form tear lines, with said pouch being configured to be torn along said tear lines. 
     
     
         14 . The system of  claim 2  wherein said panels include a pair of aligned notches and wherein said superimposed lines extend between said notches to form tear lines, with said pouch being configured to be torn along said tear lines. 
     
     
         15 . The system of  claim 3  wherein said panels include a pair of aligned notches and wherein said superimposed lines extend between said notches to form tear lines, with said pouch being configured to be torn along said tear lines. 
     
     
         16 . A method for dispensing metered amounts of a flowable material from a flexible pouch, said method comprising;
 a) providing a flexible pouch comprising a hollow body formed of a flexible sheet material having a pair of panels secured together along their periphery and with one portion of the panels being forming a tapering passageway mouth to the interior of the package, said interior being filled with a flowable material;   b) removing a portion of the pouch along a line intersecting the tapering portion to form an open mouth of a desired size;   c) introducing said pouch into an open end of a tubular member of a holder assembly, said tubular member having a cylindrical sidewall extending about a hollow interior, a front wall having an outlet nozzle, and an open end opposite said outlet nozzle, whereupon said open mouth of said pouch is located at said outlet nozzle;   d) introducing said holder assembly into a dispensing gun comprising a hollow chamber, a piston and an actuator for moving said piston; and   e) operating said actuator to cause said piston apply pressure to said pouch to force the flowable material out of said pouch through said mouth and said outlet nozzle to dispense a metered amount of the flowable material from said pouch.   
     
     
         17 . The method of  claim 16  wherein said removing a portion of the pouch along a line intersecting the tapering portion to form an open mouth of a desired size is accomplished by tearing said panels of said pouch along said line. 
     
     
         18 . The method of  claim 16  and wherein said line is located at a desired preselected distance from an end of said pouch to establish a desired size open mouth for said pouch. 
     
     
         19 . The method of  claim 17  and wherein said line is located at a desired preselected distance from an end of said pouch to establish a desired size open mouth for said pouch. 
     
     
         20 . The method of  claim 16  additionally comprising providing a valve at said outlet nozzle of said tubular member.