Improvement to a Dosing Apparatus and a Container

Field of the Invention

This invention relates to an apparatus suitable for dispensing regular doses of a liquid from a dosing cap. The invention further relates to containers comprising a dosing apparatus.

Background to the Invention

Liquids are often kept in bottles which are sufficiently flexible to be squeezed by an operator with either simple or valve controlled spouts, to enable straightforward dispensing of their contents. The relative costs of products, their potential high concentration and their impact on the environment creates a desire to only use the required amount of product for the task. One of the limitations of the classic bottle design is the difficulty in using the exact amount of force required to dispense the volume of liquid desired. As a result several systems have been developed which produce exact metered out doses of their liquid contents each and every time the bottle is squeezed. These systems often use a multiplicity of chambers functionally connected, so that, during the pouring process one of the chambers will fill to the desired volume. This volume will then be transferred to the dispensing chamber where it can be dispensed. The limitation of such systems is the requirement for multiple chambers of a size suitable for housing the desired dosing volume. This makes the dosing equipment more bulky in size and complex to produce. A second limitation of such designs is that they often require separate inversions of the bottle to effectively fill the measuring chamber, before the fluid can be dispensed. This slows and further complicates the dispensing process.

More recent advances have utilised a single chamber design to eliminate these limitations. WQ201 7093707A1 discloses a design with a pressure chamber and a valve with arms. Fluid is allowed to flow through discharge openings which are formed at the interface of the pressure chamber and the valve.

This design, however, has its own inherent limitations which the current invention seeks to overcome.

Summary of the Invention

In a first broad independent aspect, the invention provides dosing apparatus suitable for dispensing a dose of liquid from a resilient squeezable container, comprising: a cap, suitable for attachment to said container, said cap comprising an expulsion channel for the expulsion of liquid;

a cylindrical dosage chamber attached to said cap, said dosage chamber comprising side walls extending from said cap, at least one inlet opening in said side walls proximal to said cap;

a cylindrical pressure chamber located underneath said dosage chamber, said pressure chamber having a smaller diameter than said dosage chamber in order to form a flange for said plunger to rest on;

a valve assembly provided at the end of the pressure chamber distal to said dosage chamber; and

a plunger provided in said dosage chamber, and moveable relative to said dosage chamber so as to advance upon squeezing of said container, up to a blocking position;

wherein said valve comprises a ring forming an opening and a disc valve attached to the ring, the disc valve being moveable from an open position, allowing liquid to flow through the opening of the ring, and a dosed position where the disc valve doses the opening of the ring, said valve incorporating at least one aperture.

This particular configuration of the valve is advantageous because the valve assembly can be easily secured without requiring additional components since the shape of the chamber itself can be used to facilitate the retention of the valve. Furthermore, the valve assembly has a simple construction which reduces manufacturing costs. The disc valve component provides a particularly compact and responsive structure. Conveniently, the opening of the ring itself represents a discharge opening of the fluid.

The configuration is advantageous over existing valve assemblies for this particular type of dosage apparatus (with pressure chambers) wherein discharge openings require intricated configurations of the dosage chamber and valve, particularly at the interface between the pressure chamber and the valve. In contrast, the invention provides an alterative, simple and flexible solution for the valve, which is easy to assemble and may be used with any cylindrical pressure chamber. It also incorporates fewer components that may be susceptible to breaking off in use when compared to the prior art. Embodiments may therefore withstand higher cycles of use without damage arising due to the inherent toughness of a ring shaped attachment member.

In a subsidiary aspect, said pressure aperture is centrally located in said disc valve. This is advantageous because it helps to ensure even pressure is created on the base of the plunger, reducing the likelihood that it rotates within the dosing chamber. In a preferred embodiment it also allows the use of a single aperture which reduces the complexity of the structure.

In a subsidiary aspect, the disc valve is attached to the ring by a hinge element. Preferably, the hinge element is made of silicone. This allows for a low cost and easy to manufacture configuration.

Preferably, the inner diameter of the ring matches an outer diameter of the cylindrical pressure chamber. That is, the inner diameter can be slid onto the outer diameter of the cylindrical pressure chamber to allow for a tight, removable fit. Preferably, the ring is attached by frictional fit or push fit. In a further subsidiary aspect, said pressure chamber has a smaller diameter than said dosage chamber in order to form a flange against which said plunger rests in its lower most position. This configuration advantageously removes any requirement of providing a base whilst defining the dosage chamber with accuracy.

In a further subsidiary aspect, said disc has an upper surface which abuts, in use, against the distal extremity of said pressure chamber when in the closed position. This provides a relatively large potential area for a discharge from the contents of the chambers.

In a further subsidiary aspect, the disc has a diameter greater than the external diameter of said pressure chamber. This allows advantageous sealing and release from its abutting sealing position to improve the response of the valve. In a further broad aspect, the invention provides a container comprising a dosing apparatus according to any of the preceding aspects.

Brief Description of the Figures The invention will now be described, by way of example only, with reference to the accompanying drawings.

Figure 1 A shows a dispensing apparatus in perspective view; Figure 1 B shows a dispensing apparatus in perspective view with the disc valve assembly removed;

Figure 1 C shows a valve assembly with a disc valve; Figure 1 D shows a dispensing apparatus in cross-sectional views and in an upper elevation;

Figure 2 shows views of an exemplary cap; Figure 3 shows a dispensing apparatus, in perspective view when separate from the cap and separate from the valve assembly, in cross-sectional view and in an upper elevation.

Figure 4A shows a dispensing apparatus when separated from the cap and separated from the disc valve assembly, in perspective view when separate from the cap, in cross-sectional view and in an upper elevation.

Figure 4B shows a dispensing apparatus when separated from the cap and attached to the disc valve assembly;

Figures 5A and 5B show a dispensing apparatus with disc valve assembly, in a closed, and open position, respectively;

Figure 6 shows views of the disc valve assembly; and

Figure 7 shows a plunger in perspective view, in side elevation, in cross-sectional view and in an upper elevation.

Detailed Description of the Figures

Figure 1A shows the dispensing apparatus 10, operably attached to the cap 40. The dispensing apparatus 10 and cap 40 are suitable for attachment to a resilient squeezable container, capable of storing a given liquid. A disc valve assembly 100 is attached at one end of the dispensing apparatus 10. Figure 1 B shows a dispensing apparatus 10 in perspective view with the disc valve assembly 100 detached. Figure 1 D shows a dispensing apparatus in cross sectional views and in an upper elevation.

With reference to Figure 1 C, the valve assembly 100 has a disc valve 150 with a central aperture 151 which is appended to a ring 170, in this example by a silicone hinge element 171. The hinge 171 may be any suitably flexible material that allows the disc valve 150 to move relative to the ring 170 between an open and closed position. Those skilled in the art would be aware that alternative means of attaching the disc valve 150 to the ring 170 are available. The ring 170 of the disk valve fits onto an end of the dispensing apparatus 10 to thereby attach the valve assembly 100 to the dosage chamber 1 1. The ring 170 in this example is made of a plastic material and an end of the dosing chamber 10 is of also made of plastic material. Those skilled in the art would be aware that other suitable materials may be used. In preferred embodiments, the valve assembly 100 is attached to the dispensing apparatus 10 by the ring 170, which represents a frictional fit or a push-fit mechanism. The dosing apparatus 10 as shown in Figures 1A to 1 B is operably attached to the valve assembly 100 due to the close frictional fit of the ring 170 with the outer surface of the end of the disposing apparatus 10. Advantageously, the valve assembly 100 has a ring 170 which slides onto one end of the dispensing apparatus 10. In alternative configurations, the inner surface of the ring 170 and outer surface of the end of the dosing chamber 10 have interlocking male and female threaded regions. Figure 2 shows the cap 40, with the lid 43 in an open configuration. At the centre of the cap 40 is an expulsion channel 41 with aperture 42 through which liquid contained in the dosing chamber 1 1 can pass. The cap 40 can be securely attached to a resilient squeezable container by the attachment means 46. Preferably, the attachment means 46 are interlocking male and female threaded regions on the inner surface of the cap 40 and the outer surface of the container respectively. Alternatively, the attachment means 46 could be a frictional fit or a push-fit mechanism. In some envisaged embodiments, an insert with a slit valve which may be provided between the cap 40 and dosage chamber 10 to eliminate any undesirable dribbling from the container after dispensing the dose. A lid 43 is attached to the cap 40 by a hinge region 44. A sealing means 45 on the base of the lid 43 enables the aperture 42 in the cap 40 to be securely sealed when the lid 43 is in a closed configuration on the cap 40. In the currently displayed embodiment, the sealing means 45 consist of a cylinder so shaped that when the cap 43 is in a closed configuration, the cylinder enters the aperture 42, producing a frictional fit with the inner surface of the expulsion channel 41, effectively sealing it. Those skilled in the art would be aware that alternative means of sealing the outlet tube are available.

The dosing apparatus 10 as shown in this example, is operably attached to the cap 40 due to the close frictional fit of the upper ring 14 with the inner surface of the base of the cap 40. An annular lip may be provided in one or more downwardly projecting walls to secure upper ring 14 to the inside of the cap. In addition, a flexible insert may be secured on the inside of the cap above the dosing chamber. Figure 3 shows a cross-sectional view of part of a dosing apparatus 10, consisting of a cylindrical dosing chamber 1 1, with inlet openings 13 in the side wall 12 proximal to the upper ring 14. A plunger 14 for forcing liquid into and out of the dosing chamber is included in the cylindrical dosing chamber 1 1 as shown in Figures 4A and 4B. In this example, there are three rectangular inlet openings 13, with upper edges defined by upper ring 14. The size of the inlet openings 13 is proportional to the desired volume of the dose. The volume of the combined inlet openings 13, in combination with the viscosity of the liquid within the container, helps define the volume of dose created. Those skilled in the art will be aware that the inlet openings 13 are not constrained by their shape or number. The inlet openings 13 could be square, circular or triangular, with the combined volume not the number being important to the functioning of the invention.

Directly beneath the dosing chamber 1 1, as oriented for use, is a cylindrical pressure chamber 17. The pressure chamber 17 is of a volume smaller than that of the dosing chamber 1 1. At the junction between the dosing chamber 1 1 and the pressure chamber 17 is a ridge or flange 15. Preferably the ridge 15 is internally chamfered so that, in use, no liquid can accumulate on the ridge 15 and interfere with the plunging mechanism. Inside the dosing chamber 1 1 is a plunger 16. With reference to Figures 4A and Figure 4B, the valve assembly 100 is attached at the base of the dosing apparatus 10 to controls the discharge of liquid from the dosing chamber 1 1. Figures 5A and 5B show a dispensing apparatus with disc valve assembly, in a closed, and open position. Figure 6 shows views of the disc valve assembly. At the centre of the valve disc 150 is a pressure aperture 151. The diameter of the pressure aperture 21 is proportional to the volume of the dose required and the volume of the pressure chamber. The diameter of the pressure aperture 151 is also determined by considering the viscosity of the liquid contained in the resilient squeezable container. In an alternative embodiment, there are more than one pressure apertures 151 in the disc valve 150. The pressure aperture 151 could be square, circular or triangular, with the combined area not the number being important to the functioning of the invention. The disc valve 150 can move from an open position, allowing liquid to flow through the ring 170, and a closed position where no liquid can flow through the ring 170.

Preferably, the pressure chamber 17 is of decreased volume when compared to the dosage chamber 1 1. This is advantageous because it prevents the time lag created by the dosage chamber 1 1 form extending beyond the maximum amount of time the dosing chamber 1 1 may take to fill.

Figure 7 shows a perspective view of a plunger 16. The plunger 16 has a concave domed base with diameter larger than that of the aperture 50 created by the ridge 15, but smaller than that of the dosing chamber 1 1. As a result, the plunger 16 can move relative to the dosing chamber 1 1 (or primary chamber) but cannot enter the pressure or secondary chamber 1 7, where it rests on the ridge 15. The domed shape of the plunger 16 helps to ensure that the plunger 16 does not rotate around its horizontal axis. The force created by the liquid entering the pressure chamber will be pushed to the peripheries of the plunger 16 helping to stabilise the plunger 16. At rest, the plunger 16, rests on the ridge 15 and defines the boundaries of the dosing or primary chamber 1 1 and the pressure or secondary chamber 17. When orientated with the cap at the top of the dosing chamber 1 1, the plunger 16 can only move in a vertical direction relative to the dosing chamber 1 1. Around the periphery of the plunger 16 are projections 23 extending away from the plunger 16 in a substantially perpendicular direction relative to the plane of the domed portion 24 of the plunger. The projections 23 help to prevent the plunger 16 from rotating around the horizontal axis of the plunger 16 and becoming stuck in the dosing chamber 1 1. The projections 23 help reduce the surface area of the plunger 16 in contact with the dosing chamber 1 1 reducing the drag the plunger 16 experiences as it moves relative to the dosing chamber 1 1.

At the centre of the plunger 16 on the face proximal to the cap 40, is a plug 25. The plug 25 will interact with and seal the expulsion channel 41 when the plunger 16 reaches the end of the dosing chamber 1 1 proximal to the cap 40. In this example, the plug 25 is a cylinder which interacts with a tubular portion 32 of the insert which carries the disc valve assembly 100.