Dispensing assembly

Abstract

Provided is a dispensing assembly, which may be a self-dispensing assembly for pumping a material from a receptacle. The dispensing assembly includes a body including a stem having a first outlet passage, one or more first outlet openings in communication with the first outlet passage, a second outlet passage, and one or more second outlet openings in communication with the second outlet passage, a housing rotatably coupled to the body to pump material from the receptacle to the stem, and a closure movable relative to the stem between a closed position, a first open position, and a second open position, the closure having one or more third outlet openings configured to be aligned with the one or more first outlet openings or the one or more second outlet openings, and one or more fourth outlet openings configured to be aligned with the one or more second outlet openings.

What is claimed is: 
     
         1 . A dispensing assembly for dispensing a material, the dispensing assembly comprising:
 a body including a stem and a collar configured to be coupled to a receptacle, the stem having a first outlet passage, one or more first outlet openings in communication with the first outlet passage, a second outlet passage, and one or more second outlet openings in communication with the second outlet passage;   a housing rotatably coupled to the body to pump material from the receptacle to the stem; and   a closure movable relative to the stem between a closed position, a first open position, and a second open position, the closure having one or more third outlet openings configured to be aligned with the one or more first outlet openings in the closed position and aligned with the one or more second outlet openings in the second open position, and one or more fourth outlet openings configured to be aligned with the one or more second outlet openings in the first open position.   
     
     
         2 . The dispensing assembly according to  claim 1 , wherein the stem includes a threaded portion in communication with the collar, wherein material is configured to flow from the receptacle along the threaded portion when the housing is rotated. 
     
     
         3 . The dispensing assembly according to  claim 2 , wherein the housing includes a through passage for receiving the stem, a rail extending along a side of the through passage, and a sphere passage opening to a top and bottom of the rail, and wherein the dispensing assembly further includes a plurality of spheres disposed in the sphere passage configured to move by rotation of the housing along the rail and threaded portion to pump material from the receptacle to the stem. 
     
     
         4 . The dispensing assembly according to  claim 2 , wherein in the closed position, the material flows along the threaded portion to the one or more third outlet openings to the one or more first outlet openings to the first outlet passage and back to the receptacle, and wherein in the first open position, material flows along the threaded portion to the one or more fourth outlet openings to the one or more second outlet openings to the second outlet passage and out of the stem. 
     
     
         5 . The dispensing assembly according to  claim 2 , wherein in the second opening position, material is configured to flow from the receptacle through the first outlet passage to the one or more first outlet openings to the one or more third outlet openings to the one or more second outlet openings and to the second outlet passage and out of the stem. 
     
     
         6 . The dispensing assembly according to  claim 1 , wherein the one or more first outlet openings includes a pair of first outlet openings, wherein the one or more second outlet openings includes a pair of second outlet openings, wherein the one or more third outlet openings includes a pair of third outlet openings, and wherein the one or more fourth outlet openings includes a pair of fourth outlet openings. 
     
     
         7 . The dispensing assembly according to  claim 6 , wherein the first and second pairs of outlet openings are parallel to one another, and the third and fourth pairs of outlet openings are parallel to one another. 
     
     
         8 . The dispensing assembly according to  claim 1 , wherein the closure includes a base, a wall circumscribing the base, a first stem extending upward from the base, a second stem extending downward from the base, and a through passage extending through the first and second stems through which the stem of the body extends. 
     
     
         9 . The dispensing assembly according to  claim 8 , wherein the first stem includes the one or more third outlet openings and the one or more fourth outlet openings in communication with the through passage. 
     
     
         10 . The dispensing assembly according to  claim 1 , wherein the housing is rotatable relative to the body in a single direction. 
     
     
         11 . The dispensing assembly according to  claim 1 , further comprising the receptacle configured to be coupled to the collar of the body. 
     
     
         12 . The dispensing assembly according to  claim 11 , wherein the receptacle includes a pouch for holding material, a neck extending from the pouch and configured to be coupled to the collar, and a seal on the neck configured to be punctured when the neck is coupled to the collar. 
     
     
         13 . A dispensing assembly for dispensing a material, the dispensing assembly comprising:
 a receptacle; and   a cap assembly configured to be coupled to the receptacle, the cap assembly including:
 a body including a stem having a first outlet passage, one or more first outlet openings in communication with the first outlet passage, a second outlet passage, and one or more second outlet openings in communication with the second outlet passage; 
 a housing rotatably coupled to the body to pump material from the receptacle to the stem; and 
 a closure movable relative to the stem between a closed position, a first open position, and a second open position. 
   
     
     
         14 . The dispensing assembly according to  claim 13 , wherein the closure includes one or more third outlet openings configured to be aligned with the one or more first outlet openings in the closed position and aligned with the one or more second outlet openings in the second open position, and one or more fourth outlet openings configured to be aligned with the one or more second outlet openings in the first open position. 
     
     
         15 . The dispensing assembly according to  claim 14 , wherein the stem includes a threaded portion in communication with the collar, wherein material is configured to flow from the receptacle along the threaded portion when the housing is rotated. 
     
     
         16 . The dispensing assembly according to  claim 15 , wherein the housing includes a through passage for receiving the stem, a rail extending along a side of the through passage, and a sphere passage opening to a top and bottom of the rail. 
     
     
         17 . The dispensing assembly according to  claim 16 , further including a plurality of spheres disposed in the sphere passage, wherein the spheres are configured to move by rotation of the housing along the rail and threaded portion to pump material from the receptacle to the stem. 
     
     
         18 . The dispensing assembly according to  claim 13 , wherein in the closed position, the material flows through the one or more third outlet openings to the one or more first outlet openings to the first outlet passage and back to the receptacle, wherein in the first open position, material flows through the one or more fourth outlet openings to the one or more second outlet openings to the second outlet passage and out of the stem, and wherein in the second opening position, material is configured to flow from the receptacle through the first outlet passage to the one or more first outlet openings to the one or more third outlet openings to the one or more second outlet openings, and to the second outlet passage and out of the stem. 
     
     
         19 . The dispensing assembly according to  claim 13 , wherein the one or more first outlet openings includes a pair of first outlet openings, wherein the one or more second outlet openings includes a pair of second outlet openings, wherein the one or more third outlet openings includes a pair of third outlet openings, and wherein the one or more fourth outlet openings includes a pair of fourth outlet openings, and wherein the first and second pairs of outlet openings are parallel to one another, and the third and fourth pairs of outlet openings are parallel to one another. 
     
     
         20 . A dispensing assembly for dispensing a material, the dispensing assembly comprising:
 a body including a stem having a first outlet passage, a pair of first outlet openings in communication with the first outlet passage, a second outlet passage, and a pair of second outlet openings in communication with the second outlet passage;   a housing rotatably coupled to the body to pump material from a receptacle to the stem; and   a closure movable relative to the stem between a closed position, a first open position, and a second open position, the closure having a pair of third outlet openings configured to be aligned with the pair of first outlet openings in the closed position and aligned with the pair of second outlet openings in the second open position, and a pair of fourth outlet openings configured to be aligned with the pair of second outlet openings in the first open position,   wherein the first and second pairs of outlet openings are parallel to one another, and the third and fourth pairs of outlet openings are parallel to one another.