Foam dispensing device

Abstract

This foam dispensing device includes an outer container for holding foamable liquid, and a foam producing unit mounted in the discharge port of the outer container. The foam producing unit includes an inner container of substantial smaller cross section than the outer container, and a closure cap having a pressurized an inlet and foam outlet. A one-way valve is provided between the inner and outer containers which opens to replenish the foamable liquid supply in the inner container but remains closed during the foam forming process.

I claim: 
     
       1. A foam dispenser device, comprising (a) an outer .Iadd.large .Iaddend.container.Iadd., .Iaddend.for holding .Iadd.a substantially enlarged quantity of .Iaddend.foamable liquid.Iadd., .Iaddend.having a .[.discharge.]. port, .[.and.].   (b) .Iadd.foam outlet means, .Iaddend.   .Iadd.(c) .Iaddend.a foam producing unit mounted to the container and separating the area adjacent the .[.discharge.]. .Iadd.outer container .Iaddend.port and the interior of the container, said .[.form.]. .Iadd.foam .Iaddend.producing unit including; 1. an .[.inner.]. .Iadd.small .Iaddend.container disposed within the outer container, and having an opening communicating with said outer container,   2. a closure for the .[.inner.]. .Iadd.small .Iaddend.container having pressurized air inlet means communicating .[.with.]. .Iadd.air under positive pressure to .Iaddend.the .[.inner.]. .Iadd.interior of the small .Iaddend.container .[.and foam outlet means.]. .Iadd.but not to the interior of the outer container.Iaddend.,   3. foam producing means communicating .[.with.]. .Iadd.foam to .Iaddend.the foam outlet means, said foam producing means including air-receiving means communicating with the air inlet means to receive pressurized air and liquid-receiving means including an inwardly extending conduit having an opening communicating with the interior of the .[.inner.]. .Iadd.small .Iaddend.container to receive liquid,     
     
     
       4. valve means for the inner container opening.Iadd., .Iaddend.said valve means selectively closing said opening when air pressure within the .[.inner.]. .Iadd.small .Iaddend.container is increased, to supply foamable liquid from the .[.inner.]. .Iadd.small .Iaddend.container to the conduit of the foam producing means, said valve means selectively opening said opening when air pressure within the .[.inner.]. .Iadd.small .Iaddend.container is decreased to permit flow of foamable liquid from the outer container to the .[.inner.]. .Iadd.small .Iaddend.container, and .[.(c) a.]. .Iadd.(d) .Iaddend.pump means supplying pressurized air to the air inlet means, said pump means including an opening communicating with ambience and valve means selectively closing said opening when air pressure within the pump means is increased and selectively opening said opening when air pressure within the opening is decreased to admit air into said pump means.   
     
     
       2. A foam dispenser device as defined in claim 1, in which .[.(d).]. .Iadd.(e) .Iaddend.the means in the foam-producing means receiving air includes at least one opening disposed intermediate the conduit opening at the lower end of the .[.inner.]. .Iadd.small .Iaddend.container and the foam outlet means permitting air flow into said conduit.   
     
     
       3. A foam dispenser device as defined in claim 1, in which .[.(d).]. .Iadd.(e) .Iaddend.the closure includes a cap having a passage extending therethrough providing the air inlet means, and   .[.(e).]. .Iadd.(f) .Iaddend.the .[.inner.]. .Iadd.small .Iaddend.container includes a tubular member integrally formed with the closure cap.   
     
     
       4. A foam dispenser device as defined in claim 3, in which .[.(f).]. .Iadd.(g) .Iaddend.the integrally formed .[.inner.]. .Iadd.small .Iaddend.container tubular member and closure cap are received by the outer container .[.discharge.]. port. .Iadd.   
     
     
       5.  A foam dispensing device having a substantially enlarged liquid capacity comprising: a large reservoir for long-term storage and periodic use of a substantially enlarged quantity of foamable liquid;   a small reservoir for selective receipt, as a stream, and short-term storage of a small quantity of foamable liquid displaced from the large reservoir;   one way passage fluid path-defining means accommodating low velocity flow of said small quantity of foamable liquid from the large to the small reservoir at successive points in time while preventing fluid flow from the small to the large reservoir;   foam-producing means juxtaposed the two reservoirs;   manually operable air pump means selectively used to place the air under pressure above atmospheric pressure;   air flow path-defining means interposed between the air pump means and the foam-producing means;   means by which the pressure from the air pump means is selectively exerted upon the small quantity of foamable liquid contained in the small reservoir;   liquid flow path-defining means interposed between the small reservoir and the foam-producing means;   the foam-producing means comprising means causing a confluence of air flowing along the air flow path-defining means and foamable liquid flowing along the liquid flow path-defining means thereby causing entrainment of air within the liquid to produce foam;   foam effluent means interposed between the foam-producing means and the atmosphere along which foam is slowly extruded responsive to the confluent displacement of air and foamable liquid at the foam-producing means. .Iaddend. .Iadd.6. A foam dispensing device according to claim 5 wherein the foam-producing means are carried by cap means mounted to the top of   
     
     
        the large reservoir. .Iaddend. .Iadd.7.  A method for repeatedly dispensing small quantities of foam formed by entraining air within a foamable liquid in a device successively over an extended period of time without need to replenish the supply of foamable liquid in the device, comprising the steps of: storing a substantially enlarged quantity of foamable liquid in a large container;   transferring a small quantity of foamable liquid at a slow rate from the large container along a one way fluid flow path to a small chamber;   selectively applying the force of manually-derived positive pressure to the small quantity of foamable liquid in the small chamber to displace at least a substantial portion of the small quantity of foamable liquid from the small chamber to a foam-producing site as a low velocity liquid stream;   delivering a stream of air under said manually-derived positive pressure to the foam-producing site;   causing a confluence at the foam-producing site by continuously merging the stream of foamable liquid and the stream of air under force of said manually-derived positive pressure to produce foam at the foam-producing site;   displacing foam at a low velocity along an effluent foam flow path from the   
     
     
        foam-producing site to an output site. .Iaddend. .Iadd.8.  A foam-dispensing device having a substantially enlarged liquid capacity comprising: a large container for holding a large supply of foamable liquid to be periodically used in small increments over an extended time;   a small chamber for successively receiving at selected points in time over said entire extended period of time said increments of foamable liquid from the large container;   one-way fluid flow means by which each small increment of foamable liquid is selectively delivered via low velocity flow from the large container to the small chamber;   foam-producing means comprising air inlet means, foamable liquid influent means and foam effluent means;   a source of manually-derived pressure;   foamable liquid passageway means interposed between the small chamber and the foamable liquid influent means of the foam-producing means by which at least a substantial portion of each increment of foamable liquid from the small chamber is selectively delivered to the foam-producing means under low velocity;   means by which the force of positive pressure selectively manually derived from said source is imposed upon the small increment of foamable liquid in the small chamber at a desired point in time thereby forcing said low velocity flow of the foamable liquid from the small chamber to the foam-producing means;   means by which air under said positive pressure is delivered to the air inlet means of the foam-producing means causing the air to be entrained within the flowing foamable liquid at the foam-producing means to produce foam, the foam thereafter issuing from the foam effluent means of the foam-producing means and thence at low velocity along a foam discharge passageway to a foam discharge port;   means by which the force of the manually-derived positive pressure is at all times isolated from the interior of the large container. .Iaddend.   
     
     
        .Iadd.9.  A foam-dispensing unit according to claim 8 wherein negative pressure is imposed upon the interior of the small chamber to stimulate delivery of each additional small increment of foamable liquid from the large container to the small chamber following but not during selective displacement of any small increment of foamable liquid from the small chamber to the foam-producing means. .Iaddend. .Iadd.10. A foam-dispensing unit according to claim 8 wherein the foam discharge passageway extends in 
     
     
        a substantially horizontal direction. .Iaddend. .Iadd.11.  A foamer operable under manually-derived pressure comprising: an extraordinarily large supply of foamable liquid disposed in a large container;   a small pump chamber;   one-way flow control means by which relatively small amounts of foamable liquid are successively displaced from the large container to the small chamber when foam is not being produced;   a manually-operated pressure pump;   foam-producing structure;   foamable liquid flow path means interposed between the small chamber and the foam-producing structure;   means isolating the force of the positive pressure created by the pump from the interior of the large container;   means imposing the force of the positive pressure created by the air pump upon the small amount of foamable liquid in the small chamber thereby displacing the same at low velocity from the small chamber along the foamable liquid flow path means to the foam-producing structure;   means accommodating simultaneous delivery of air under positive pressure derived from the pump to the foam-producing structure where the air is continuously entrained within the small amount of foamable liquid flowing into the foam-producing structure;   foam effluent means along which the foam is discharged from the   
     
     
        foam-producing structure to the user. .Iaddend. .Iadd.12.  A method by which foam is dispensed under manually-derived pressure, comprising the steps of: placing a very large supply of foamable liquid in a large container, the quantity of foamable liquid substantially exceeding that which could heretofore be operatively used;   causing a relatively small amount of said foamable liquid to be selectively displaced at successive desired points in time from the large container to a relatively small adjacent chamber;   selectively manually placing air under positive pressure and imposing the force of said positive pressure upon the small amount of foamable liquid in the small chamber while preventing the force of the positive pressure from being imposed upon the foamable liquid in the large container, thereby forcing flow of foamable liquid only from the small chamber at a slow rate to a foam-producing site where air under said positive pressure is entrained within the flowing foamable liquid to foam said flowing foamable liquid at the foam-producing site, the foam being extruded at a slow rate from the foam-producing site to a foam discharge site. .Iaddend. .Iadd.13. A method according to claim 12 further comprising the step of applying negative pressure to the interior of the small container to stimulate successive delivery thereto of each small amount of foamable liquid from the large container following but not during selective delivery of foamable liquid from the small chamber to the foam-producing   
     
     
        site. .Iaddend. .Iadd.14.  A foamer from which foam is periodically dispensed under manually-derived pressure comprising: a very large container in which a very large supply of foamable liquid is placed, the quantity of foamable liquid substantially exceeding that which could heretofore be operatively used;   a relatively small chamber;   one-way flow means through which a relatively small amount of said foamable liquid is selectively displaced from the large container to the small chamber at successive desired points in time following dispensing of foam;   a source of pressure selectively manually operated to place air under positive pressure;   means imposing the force of said positive pressure upon the small amount of foamable liquid in the small chamber;   means preventing the force of the positive pressure from being imposed upon the foamable liquid in the large container;   foam-producing means;   foamable liquid flow path means along which foamable liquid from the small container is displaced at a slow rate to the foam-producing means;   means by which air under said positive pressure is delivered to the foam-producing means and entrained within the foamable liquid to continuously foam said flowing foamable liquid at the foam-producing means;   foam effluent means interposed between the foam-producing means and a foam discharge port along which the foam generated at the foam-producing means is extruded at a slow rate. .Iaddend.