TECHNICAL FIELD

The present invention relates to a dispensing pump.

BACKGROUND

There is a kind of commercially available chemical liquid bottle on which is provided a dispensing pump.

For example, Ding, in U.S. Pat. No. 6,357,629B1, describes a lotion pump, comprises: a nozzle head; a connecting/guiding member connected to the nozzle head, in which an upper one-way valve is disposed; a container cap having a first connection structure and a second connection structure, said first connection structure is to engage with a mouth of a bottle; a housing, on its upper end, there is a connection structure engaging with the second connection structure on the container cap, and on its lower end, there is a lower one-way valve; a piston which moves within the housing, its upper end is connected to the connecting/guiding member; and a spring which makes the piston return; characterized in that, the upper end of the spring abuts against the connecting/guiding member, the lower end of the spring abuts against a spring seat which is provided in the housing. The lotion pump prevents the spring from contacting the lotion, thus it stops the metal spring and the lotion from polluting each other.

However, the pump described by Ding still has more than10parts, it complicates the manufacture of the pump and increases its cost.

Another well-known type of pump is described by Andris in U.S. Pat. No. 4,979,646. Andris disclosed: A paste dispenser includes a dispensing pump for dispensing metered amounts of pasty substances, such as toothpaste or the like, from bottle-like or can-like paste containers which have a bellows made of an elastic material. The bellows are arranged between two housing parts which are made of a dimensionally stable material, guided telescopically resiliently one with another, so as to establish communication between the housing parts. One of the housing parts is provided with a tubular discharge orifice which shapes a strand of paste, and communicates with an annular duct formed by two inner and outer sections which are formed on one of the housing parts and are concentric to one another and coaxial to a bellows axis intercommunicating the housing parts. The inner tube section is surrounded by a radially elastic annular wall member or portion of the bellows which forms a valve seat. The annular wall section joins a wall of the bellows in a sealing fashion between the outer and inner sections. The end of the annular wall member rests on the inner surface of the outer tube section. To add colored paste with the sharpest contours possible to the strand of paste, the inner tube section is provided, in order to be used as a reservoir for a color-stripping paste, with one or several striping ducts open directly into said discharge orifice.

The dispenser described by Andris also has multiple small parts, it complicates the manufacture and its assembly.

Various problems also exist, including low restitution rate, design compatibility, metal part corrosion, valve block, leaking (piston leaking, venting leaking). Such problems cause waste of the product and higher cost of the manufacture.

Also new features such as tamper-evidence design, water-resistance ability are quite useful for the pump design.

Therefore, the pump design needed to be improved to solve the existing problems and improve the functions.

SUMMARY

The purpose of the present invention is to provide a dispensing pump mechanism which can improve the functions of the pump, such as one or more of: lower restitution rate, less structural parts, lower cost, water/dust proof, lightweight, easy assembly, etc.

The purpose of the present invention is realized by the following technical solution.

In some embodiments, the dispensing pump has a tamper-evidence structure between a fixed part of said pump and a movable part of said pump, wherein the movement of said movable part breaks said tamper-evidence structure.

In some embodiments, the dispensing pump has off-centered at least one channel in the pump, for example 2 off-centered channels, so that the pump works in multiple open positions by the rotation of the pump.

In some embodiments, the dispensing pump has an air vent on the pump, for example an air vent that is sealed by the rotation of pump.

In some embodiments, the dispensing pump has an inner part and an outer part.

In some embodiments, the dispensing pump is a one-piece over-molded structure having an integrated tamper-evidence linkage between a fixed part of said pump, such as the actuator, and a movable part of said pump, such as the collar.

According to an aspect of the proposed solution, an integrally molded component for a pump comprising: a container collar having an attachment structure for connecting to a container neck; a spout having a dispensing conduit; a tamper-evidence part connected between said collar and said spout, with the spout in upside-down position with respect to said collar; wherein said tamper-evidence part has at least one frangible part and a length extending between said container collar and said spout; said length is just long enough to allow said spout to be positioned immediately above said container collar with a lower end of the spout near the top surface of said container collar and said tamper-evidence part taut, so as to break said at least one frangible part when said spout rotates about an angle on said collar's axis.

According to an aspect of the proposed solution, an integrally molded component for a pump comprising: a container collar having attachment structure; a spout having a dispensing conduit; a tamper-evidence part connected between said collar and said spout, with the spout in upside-down position; when the integrally molded component is installed onto said pump, said tamper-evidence part has a length, which is long enough to allow said spout to be turned 180 degrees and fastened to an actuating part of said pump, the low end of the spout is below the top surface of the container collar; wherein said length of the tamper-evidence part is short enough, so that said tamper-evidence part is broken when said spout is rotated an angle from its initial installation position.

According to a further aspect of the proposed solution, said tamper-evidence part has two frangible points on its two ends, so as to be broken when said spout rotates said angle.

According to a further aspect of the proposed solution, said attachment structure is connecting structures between said collar and said container, such as thread or snap-on design.

According to a further aspect of the proposed solution, said tamper-evidence part has fork shaped linkages, when said spout is turned 180 degrees and fastened to said pump, said fork shaped linkages locate by the two sides of said spout.

According to a further aspect of the proposed solution, a pump for a product container, comprising: an actuating part; and said integrally molded component described above; said tamper-evidence part of said integrally molded component is broken when said spout is rotated an angle from its initial installation position after said pump installed on said product container.

According to another aspect of the proposed solution, a pump for dispensing product from a container comprising: a container collar having at least one off-centre outlet channel, connectable to said container; an actuating part, rotatably mounted on top of said collar; said actuating part has a corresponding passage to said outlet channel, said passage rotating with the rotation of said actuating part follows an arcuate path away from center, wherein the rotation of said actuating part in different positions causes one of said at least one outlet channel to be selectively blocked and in communication with said passage.

According to a further aspect of the proposed solution, two or more outlet channels are set on the collar, the rotation of said actuating part in different positions causes one of the following situations:all of said outlet channels to be blocked; andall the other of said outlet channels to be blocked except one outlet channel.

According to a further aspect of the proposed solution, said two or more outlet channels are evenly distributed on said collar.

According to a further aspect of the proposed solution, a connecting portion is set around one of said outlet channels for a pipe to suck the product from low part of the container, the other of said outlet channels is configured to accept a product flow in an upside-down position.

According to a further aspect of the proposed solution, said actuating part is above the top opening of the container.

According to another aspect of the proposed solution, a pump for dispensing product from a container comprising: a collar, connectable to an opening of said container; an actuating part, rotatably mounted onto said collar; an air vent, integrated on said collar for reducing the negative pressure in said container; wherein said air vent is switched between blocked and opened when said actuating part is rotated in different positions.

According to a further aspect of the proposed solution, said air vent is blocked by the said actuating part when said actuating part is rotated to a close position.

According to another aspect of the proposed solution, a method for producing a dispensing pump, comprises: molding a first part of said pump with a first material; on said first part, over-molding a second part of said pump with a second material, to form an unfolded one-piece pump structure; said first material is more elastic than said second material; folding said one-piece pump structure at least one time to form said dispensing pump in working state.

According to a further aspect of the proposed solution, said first part of said pump is an elastic actuating part, having an elastic membrane and two valve flaps.

According to a further aspect of the proposed solution, said second part of said pump is a housing of a dispensing chamber and a collar of said pump.

According to a further aspect of the proposed solution, said one-piece pump structure comprises: a dispensing chamber, an actuating part, a tamper-evidence linkage and a collar, said actuating part is connected between said dispensing chamber and said linkage and said linkage links between said actuating part and said collar.

According to a further aspect of the proposed solution, said folding step includes: folding between said dispensing chamber and said actuating part to snap said actuating part onto said dispensing chamber; folding two ends of said tamper-evidence linkage to rotate said collar 180 degrees to connect to said dispensing chamber from its bottom.

According to an aspect of the proposed solution, a one-piece pump comprising: a fixed part; a rotatable part; a tamper-evidence part connected between said fixed part and said rotatable part; wherein said tamper-evidence part is broken when said rotatable part is turned an angle from its initial position.

According to a further aspect of the proposed solution, said rotatable part is an actuator of said pump.

According to a further aspect of the proposed solution, said fixed part is a collar of said pump, which connects to a container, which contains one or more products.

According to a further aspect of the proposed solution, preferably, said rotatable part is above the opening of the container to increase the volume of the products within.

According to another aspect of the proposed solution, a pump for dispensing product from a container comprising: a collar, connectable to an opening of said container; a pumping part, connected onto said collar; wherein at least one outlet channel is off-centre set on the collar and the movement of said pumping part in different positions causes one of said at least one outlet channel to be blocked.

According to a further aspect of the proposed solution, two or more outlet channels are off-centre set on the collar, the movement of said pumping part in different positions causes one of the follow situations: all of said outlet channels to be blocked; and all the other of said outlet channels to be blocked except one outlet channel.

According to a further aspect of the proposed solution, said two or more outlet channels are evenly distributed on said collar.

According to a further aspect of the proposed solution, a connecting portion is set around one of said outlet channels for a pipe to suck the product from low part of the container, the other one of said outlet channels is configured to accept a product flow in a upside-down position.

According to another aspect of the proposed solution, a pump for dispensing product from a container comprising: a collar, connectable to an opening of said container; a pumping part, connected onto said collar; an air vent, integrated on said collar; wherein said air vent reduces the negative pressure in said container.

According to a further aspect of the proposed solution, said air vent is switched between blocked and opened when said pumping part is rotatable in different positions.

According to a further aspect of the proposed solution, said air vent is blocked by the said pumping part when said pumping part is rotated to a close position.

According to another aspect of the proposed solution, a method for producing a dispensing pump, comprises:

over-molding an unfolded one-piece pump structure;

folding said one-piece pump structure at least one time to form said dispensing pump in working state.

The pump in accordance with the proposed solution, such as one-piece or multi-piece pump, can be made by over-molding to reduce the manufacture costs, improve the efficiency and recyclability.

The two-part pump in accordance with the proposed solution can be made by two or more materials, in order to increase the rigidity of the pump's main body while keep the suction and recovering force of the pump.

The pump in accordance with the proposed solution has much less parts, it omits the traditional ball/piston valve and the traditional springs, therefore it reduces the chance of malfunction of the pump, also reduces the chance of contamination by or through the pump, such as the metal spring.

The off-centre design of the pump in accordance with the proposed solution achieves the on/off switch function by rotating the nozzle, further the multiple outlet hole off-centre design of the pump in accordance with the proposed solution achieves the multiple products selecting function.

The pump with the integrated air vents in accordance with the proposed solution reduces the restitution rate, also the air vents can be covered/blocked in the “close” position to reduce the chance of contamination, also increases the water/dust proof ability.

The integrated tamper-evidence design in accordance with the proposed solution ensure the seal and purity of product, in order to protect the user and the reputation of the product brand.

