Dispenser for paste-like products with a manually actuatable piston

Abstract

This invention relates to a dispenser for paste-like products of the type having a container containing a product and closed at one end by a slidable piston in sealing engagement with the inner wall surface thereof, the other end being provided with a head member carrying on applicator and forming a pump chamber the volume of which is variable by the exertion of exterior pressure, the pump chamber being closed towards said container by a first check valve adapted to open only towards the pump chamber, and towards the outlet of the applicator by a second check valve adapted to open only towards said outlet.

I claim: 
     
       1. A dispenser for paste-like products comprising a container having opposite ends which are spaced apart in a longitudinal direction and one of which is substantially closed by a wall wherein there is a hole, a head member on said one end of the container having a portion that is manually inwardly displaceable against a bias, said head member cooperating with said wall to define a pump chamber into which product can flow from the container through said hole and which has an outlet spaced from said hole, a slidable piston sealingly engaging the inner surface of the container to close its other end, and a pair of check valve elements, one arranged to prevent flow of product through said hole from the pump chamber into the container and the other arranged to prevent inward flow through said outlet towards the pump chamber, said dispenser being characterized by: A. said outlet being defined by a portion of said head member that is formed as a duct which is in laterally spaced relation to said hole and extends away from said wall in said longitudinal direction; and   B. said dispenser further comprising an insert member of resilient material confined in said head member and having (1) a first flap portion which provides said one check valve element and which normally flatwise overlies said wall to close said hole therein but is flatwise flexible away from said wall,   (2) a second flap portion providing said other check valve element, said second flap portion being spaced from said wall and normally extending across said duct to prevent inward flow therethrough but being resiliently flatwise flexible away from said wall, and     (3) a medial portion to which said flap portions have flexing connections for flatwise movement, said connections being substantially parallel to one another, spaced apart in said longitudinal direction, and substantially contained in a plane that extends in said longitudinal direction, and said medial portion being formed to define a channel between said connections which extends transversely through said plane and through which product flows in passing from said hole to the space between said wall and said second-flap portion.   
     
     
       2. The dispenser of claim 1, further characterized by: said flap portions extending edgewise in opposite directions from said medial portion of the insert member.   
     
     
       3. The dispenser of claim 1, further characterized by: (1) said portion of the head member that is manually inwardly displaceable being formed as a pump piston having an accessible outer surface formed as a pushbutton, and   (2) a substantially U-shaped spring in said pump chamber reacting against said pump piston and engaging said wall at opposite sides of said first flap portion.   
     
     
       4. A dispenser for paste-like products comprising a container having upper and lower ends and having its upper end substantially closed by a wall wherein there is a hole, a head member on said upper end of the container having a portion that is manually inwardly displaceable against a bias, said head member cooperating with said wall to define a pump chamber into which product can flow from the container through said hole and which has an outlet, a slidable sealing piston closing the lower end of the container, and a pair of check valve elements, one arranged to prevent flow of product through said hole from the pump chamber into the container and the other arranged to prevent inward flow through said outlet towards the pump chamber, said dispenser being characterized by: A. said outlet being defined by a portion of said head member that is formed as an upwardly extending duct which is in laterally spaced relation to said hole;   B. said dispenser further comprising an insert member of substantially resilient material confined in said head member and having (1) a medial portion that defines a horizontally extending channel above said wall through which product passes in flowing from said hole into said duct, and   (2) a pair of flaps, each having a resiliently hinged connection to said medial portion for flatwise swinging motion relative thereto, said flaps extending edgewise in substantially opposite directions from said medial portion, (a) one of said flaps providing said one check valve element and having its hinge connection below said channel and adjacent to said wall to normally flatwise overlie the same and close said hole therein, and   (b) the other of said flaps providing said other check valve and normally extending across said duct with its hinge connection substantially vertically over the hinge connection of said one flap, above said channel, and spaced above said wall. .Iadd. 5. A dispenser for paste-like products comprising a container having opposite ends which are spaced apart in a longitudinal direction one which is substantially closed by an end wall wherein there is a hole; a head member and insert assembly on said one end of the container and having a portion that is manually inwardly displaceable against a bias, said head member and insert assembly co-operating with said end wall to define a pump chamber into which product can flow through said end wall from the container directly through said hole and which has an outlet spaced from said hole, and a pair of check valve elements, one arranged to prevent flow of product through said hole from the pump chamber into the container and the other arranged to prevent inward flow through said outlet towards the pump chamber; and said dispenser including:       A. said outlet being defined by a portion of said head member and insert assembly that is formed as a duct which is in laterally spaced relation to said hole and extends away from said end wall in said longitudinal direction; and   B. said insert assembly being formed of resilient material, said insert assembly confined in said head member and having (1) a first flap portion which provides said one check valve element and which is positioned in said pump chamber and normally overlies said end wall to close said hole therein but is flatwise movable away from said end wall,   (2) a second flap portion providing said other check valve element, said second flap portion being spaced from said end wall and normally extending across said duct to prevent inward flow therethrough but being resiliently flatwise flexible away from said end wall, and   (3) a medial portion formed to define a channel which extends transversely between said pump chamber and said duct through which product flows in passing from said hole to said duct below said second flap portion, said flap portions being on opposite sides of said medial portion with said first flap portion being upstream of said channel and said second flap portion being downstream of said channel. .Iaddend..Iadd. 6. A dispenser according to claim 5 wherein said channel is formed primarily by said insert. .Iaddend..Iadd. 7. A dispenser according to claim 5 wherein said pump chamber and said duct are longitudinally elongated and in     
     
     
        substantially parallel relation. 8. A dispenser according to claim 5 wherein said pump chamber includes a cylindrical wall and said resiliently biased portion includes a piston positioned in and peripherally sealed to said cylindrical wall. .Iaddend. .Iadd. 9. A dispenser for paste-like products comprising a container having opposite ends which are spaced apart in a longitudinal direction   and one end portion of which is substantially closed by a transverse wall wherein there is a product passage hole,   a slidable piston of a cross section matching the internal cross section of said container sealingly engaging the inner surface of said container to close off the other end portion of said container,   a head member on said one end portion having actuating means that is manually movable from a position of rest against a bias means through an active stroke and is returned to said position of rest by said bias means,   a pump chamber of small cross sectional area compared to said slidable piston   provided in said head member into which product can flow from the container intermediate position through said hole,   an actuating piston and a cooperating cylinder in part defining said pump chamber, said actuating means being connected to move said actuating piston for moving the same in said cylinder,   said cylinder having a discharge opening at the approximate end of the stroke of said actuating piston for product flow through said discharge opening,   and said cylinder having an end wall disposed opposite to said actuating piston and against which said piston works,   said end wall being defined at least in part by a first valve disposed to cooperate with said transverse wall to overlie said hole in blocking and unblocking positions,   said valve being movable to close off said hole to product movement upon manual movement of said actuating means when product is in said cylinder causing product to flow out of said cylinder through said opening,   said first valve being movable to its unblocking position under conditions wherein said actuating piston returns to said position of rest causing negative pressure in said cylinder as compared to atmospheric pressure on the outside of said container whereby said sliding piston is caused to move toward said transverse wall displacing product through said hole,   said head member having an outlet passage therein outside of said cylinder in product communication with said opening for discharge of product from said container and wherein there is a second valve operable to an open position by product flow caused by said actuating piston and movable to a closed position stopping inward flow of product in said outlet passage and back into said cylinder when said actuating piston is returning to the position of rest,   said head member further having separately formed insert means confined therein comprising at least a portion of said cylinder defining said opening and including said first valve flexibly connected thereto and   
     
     
        thereby defining parts of at least said cylinder. .Iaddend..Iadd. 10.  A dispenser according to claim 9 wherein each of said valves has a flexing connection to said insert means and said valves being disposed in both laterally and longitudinally offset relation on opposite sides of said opening. .Iaddend..Iadd. 11. A dispenser according to claim 9 wherein said discharge opening is in a cylinder wall portion at approximately 90° to said first valve. .Iaddend..Iadd. 12. A dispenser for paste-like products comprising a container having opposite ends which are spaced apart in a longitudinal direction and one of which is substantially closed by a transverse wall wherein there is a hole, a head member on said one end of the container having a portion that is manually inwardly displaceable against a bias, a pump chamber in said head member into which product can flow from the container through said hole, said head member having an outlet spaced from said hole, a slidable piston sealingly engaging the inner surface of the container to close its other end, and a pair of check valve elements, one arranged to prevent flow of product through said hole from the pump chamber into the container and the other arranged prevent inward flow through said outlet towards the pump chamber, said dispenser being characterized by: said pump chamber including a pump piston defining wall acting against the portion of said transverse wall containing said hole with said one valve member being interposed between said pump piston wall and said transverse wall whereby pumping displacement of said pump piston wall forces said one valve member to close off said hole of said transverse wall, said pump chamber having a discharge opening in communication with said outlet through which product would be passed by movement of said pump piston toward said transverse wall, and said other valve member being disposed between said pump chamber discharge opening and said head member outlet. .Iaddend. .Iadd. 13. A dispenser for paste-like products comprising a container having opposite ends which are spaced apart in a longitudinal direction and one of which is substantially closed by a wall wherein there is a hole, a head member on said one end of the container having a portion that is manually inwardly displaceable against a bias, said head member cooperating with said wall to define a pump chamber into which product can flow from the container through said hole and which has an outlet spaced from said hole, a slidable piston sealingly engaging the inner surface of the container to close its other end, and a pair of check valve elements, one arranged to prevent flow of product through said hole from the pump chamber into the container and the other arranged to prevent inward flow through said outlet towards the pump chamber, said dispenser being characterized by:   A. said outlet being defined by a portion of said head member that is formed as a duct which is in laterally spaced relation to said hole and extends away from said wall in said longitudinal direction; and   B. said dispenser further comprising an insert member of resilient material confined in said head member and having (1) a first flap portion which provides said one check valve element and which normally flatwise overlies said wall to close said hole therein but is flatwise flexible away from said wall,   (2) a second flat portion attached to said insert by a flexing connection and providing said other check valve element, said second flap portion being spaced from said wall and normally extending across said duct to prevent inward flow therethrough but being resiliently flatwise flexible away from said wall,   (3) a medial portion to which at least the first flap portion has a flexing connection for flatwise movement substantially contained in a plane that extends in said longitudinal direction, the flexing connections of the first flap portion and of the second flap portion being substantially parallel to one another, and said medial portion being formed to define a chamber between said pump chamber and said outlet duct which extends transversely through said plane and through which product flows in passing from said hole to said space between said wall and said second flap     
     
     
        portion. .Iaddend. .Iadd. 14.  A dispenser according to claim 12 wherein there is a member arranged between said head member and said transverse wall and carrying said check valve elements. .Iaddend. .Iadd. 15. A dispenser according to claim 12 wherein said pump piston is movable relative to said head member. .Iaddend..Iadd. 16. A dispenser according to claim 12 wherein said pump piston is formed separate and apart from said head member. .Iaddend.