CA2036111A1

CA2036111A1 - Fluid container

Info

Publication number: CA2036111A1
Application number: CA002036111A
Authority: CA
Inventors: Billy Nilsson
Original assignee: Sterisol AB
Current assignee: Sterisol AB
Priority date: 1990-02-16
Filing date: 1991-02-11
Publication date: 1991-08-17
Also published as: PT96786A; AU7093491A; FI910701A0; HU910476D0; PL289079A1; BR9100606A; EP0442857A1; AU627645B2; JPH0776384A; SE9000567D0; NO910527D0; KR910015481A; CS35491A3; RU1836263C; NO910527L; HUT60201A; FI910701A; ZA911100B

Abstract

ABSTRACT
The invention concerns a fluid container comprising a collapsible fluid chamber (21) for holding the fluid including at least one flexible portion (24) and an opening (25) sealingly connected to a dispensing device (26) capable of creating a negative pressure for sucking the fluid from the fluid chamber (21) in order to dispense it during simultaneous collapsing of said fluid chamber (21).

Description

FLUID CONTAINER
The present invention relates to a fluid container comprising a collapsible fluid chamber for holding a preferably viscous fluid. The fluid chamber includes at least one flexible portion and an opening sealingly con-nected to a dispensing device capable of dispensing the fluid from the fluid chamber.
Viscous fluids, such as liquid detergents, are often packed in flexible bags having a valve for dispensing the fluid such that the bag collapses and its volume is re-duced, as described e.g. in GB, A, 2,131,394 and EP, Al, 207,279. These con-tainers must be placed on a vertical surface, such as a wall or the like, with the valve locat-ed at the bottom so that the fluid in the bag will flow to the valve by gravity.
This disadvantage is offset in DE, Al, 2,628,979 sug-gesting the use of a pressure pack mounted inside a shell.
However, pressure packs are in themselves relatively com-plicated and also require propellant gases which must not affect the fluid or the user.
GB, A, 654,113, for example, discloses a soap con-tainer of hard material which is pivotally mounted, so that the soap can be poured th~ough an opening when the container is pivoted. It is then necessary that air be ad-mitted through another opening, with the consequent draw-back that microorganisms and other substances present in the air may also enter.
US, A, 3339803 and US, A, 4826045 disclose fluid containers including a diaphragm for expelling the fluid 30 when subjected to external pressure. The diaphragm is ;~
provided with stiffening rings or a stabilizing pin to avoid buckling and thus obstruction o~ the dispensing opening. These containers are complicated and require a pressure medium in order to dispense the fluid.
~ There is a current demand ~or a container for holding a pre~erably viscous fluld, especially liquid detergent, -~ ~ where the fluid can be dispensed without the risk of any ~orelgn substances or biological organisms entering the , 2 2~3~
container. The contai.ner shoulcl also be easy to manu~ac-ture, practical to handle, flexible as to the place of mounting and of aesthetical appearance.
This demand has now been complied with by the provi-sion of a fluid container as stated in claim 1. Morespecifically, the container comprises a collapsible fluid chamber including at least one flexible portion and an opening sealingly connected to a dispensing device capable of creating a negative pressure for sucking the fluid from 0 the fluid chamber in order to dispense it during simul-taneous collapsing of said ~luid chamber. Suitably, pro-~ecting means extendlng into the fluid chamber are provided near the opening, preferably around the periphery of the opening, to prevent any part of the flexible portion of the fluid chamber from obstructing said opening, whereby the formation of fluid pockets having no contact with the opening is prevented. It is preferred that the fluid chamber, when filled, is substantially spherical, which means maximal economy of material and maximal strength. The flexible portion should constitute at least half the fluid chamber to permit substantially complete discharge of the content therein.
According to a pre~erred embodiment, substantially the whole fluid chamber is flexible. In a manufacturing ~5 point of view, it is particularly preferred that the fluid chamber is made of two substantially equally large flexible sheetings joined to each other along their edges, e.g. by welding or gluing. One of the sheetings is provided with an opening; preferably at its central por-tion. Thus, if the fluid chamber is spherical, the opening will constitute one of the poles while the ~oint between the sheetings, e.g. a welding seam, will constitute the equator.
! A conkainer consisting of a collapsible fluid chamber as described sealingly connected to a dispensing device wlll work, but~ it is preferred that the container also comprises a rigid house in which the collapsible fluid chamber is mounted. Preferably the house comprises a front shell, preferably provided with an opening ~or the dispen-. ~

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3 ~ 3 sing device, and a back shell. The fron-t shell is prefe-rably provided with a slot extending from the edge of the shell to the opening for the dispensing device, which slot can be widened for facilitating mounting of the front shell on the fluid chamber. The shells are detachably assembled so as to form a closed, but not gastight, prefe-rably spherical space enclosing the fluid chamber. Further, the shells are suitably joined together by means of some typs of quick-connective lock, such as a bayonet catch or lo the like, but different types of screw joints are also conceivable. To permit reducin~ the volume of the fluid chamber when being emptied, air must be admitted into the above-mentioned space, either at the joint or through apertures.
In another embodiment the fluid chamber ls defined by the front shell and a flexible sheeting connected to the front shell, e.g. by welding. The front shell is provided with an opening sealingly connected to the dispensing device. Preferably the front shell and the flexible sheet-ing constitute substantially equally large parts of the fluid chamber. The front shell may be joined to the back shell as in the embodiment~described above.
In all embodiments comprising a rigid house, the container may be mounted, preferably through its back ~5 shell, in a holder comprising means for attaching the holder to a surfaceO These means may comprise adhesiva material, but it is preferred that the holder can be detachably fixed to the surface, e.g. by means of a suction cup. A preferred holder comprises annular means having a ~30 biaxial through bore and encircling pro~ecting means having a biaxial through bore and coaxially cooperating with pro~ecting means provided in the central portion of a suction cup and having a biaxial through bore. The through ~ ~bores are so designed that a pin or wedge can be inserted for mounting the suction cup in the holder. It is pre-ferred, in particular, that the through bores ara so adapted that the central portion of the suction cup is ~lifted when the pin or wedge ls inserted, thereby in-, .
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creasing the negative pressure in the suction cup and,thus, the force of adhesion. The annular means should then have an inner diameter which is smaller than the outer diameter of the suc-tion cup, such that the peripheral portion thereof is pressed against the mounting surface.
Such a container can easily be fixed to all flat surfaces, such as a washbasin or a wall.
In another embodiment, the outer side of the house has one or more flat surfaces, so that it can be placed steadily on horizontal surfaces, -such as a wash-basin, a shelf or a table. It is also possible to provide one or more of the flat surfaces with a layer of adhesive material.
Any dispensing device capable of creating a negative pressure for sucking the fluid from the fluid chamber in order to dispense it may be used. A preferred dispensing device comprises a pump, preferably in the form of a mechanically actuated dome, which is capable of creating a negative pressure for sucking the fluid from the fluid chamber, and of creating a positive pressure ~or discharging the fluid through a channel communicating with the~pump, and non-return valve means for preventing fluid from flowing back into the fluid chamber. The channel has an inlet and an outlet end and an axial direction of fluid flow, means being provided at the outlet end for opening at a certain interior positive pressure and for closing when this positive pressure decreases~ Preferably, the channel is defined by a body portion consisting of rigid material and formed with a groove of substantially arcuate cross-section, and a cover portion of flexible material. Theside edges of the cover portion extending in the direction of flow are sealingly connected to the body portion and gradually conform towards the outlet end to the shape of the groove. The cover portion is prestressed and thereby caùsed in a region at the outlet end of the channel to sealingly engage the wall of the groove with a certain engagement pressure. Preferably, the cover portion has a ~
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thickness which increases towards the side edges as seen in a section transversely of the direction o~ flow. The groov~
is suitably so shaped that its cross-section, at leas~ at the outlet end, substantially c:onstitutes the arc of an imaginary sector of a circle where the angle between the straight lines is from 5 to 40 degrees, preferably from 20 to 40 degrees.
The hard and rigid parts of the container can be ma-nufactured by injection-moulding polyethylene or polypro-pylene, while the ~lexible sheetings may consist of avacuum-formed laminate comprising a layer of polyethylene or polypropylene and a layer of polyamide or polyester.
The flexible parts of the dispensing device, i.e. the dome and the covsr portion, may consist of vacuum-formed ther-moplastic polyethylene. All permanent joints may be weldedor glued. It is however obviou~ to a person skilled in the art that other methods of manufacture and other construc-tion materials having suitable propertles can be used.
A container as described above offers all the advan-tages of flexibla bags, sinc~ it is easy to manufactureand to use and it can be emptied without admltting any ~oreign substances or orgànisms. As opposed to prior art containers of this typet it may be placed with the opening for dispensing its content pointing in any direction, ~upwards as well as downwards. It can be fixed, either detachably or permanently, on both horizontal, vertical and incllned sur~aces, or be placed directly on a horizontal surface wlthou~ being fixed to it, which makes the con-tainer highly fl~xible as to its place o~ use. With its 3a clean outer conflguration, it also has an aesthetical ap-pearance.
Some different embodiments according to th~ invention ~will now be described in more detail wlth re~erence ko the accompanying drawings. Figure 1 is a sectional side view of ;!
~an empty fluid chamber, E~igure 2 is a sectional side view o~ a~filled fluid chamber, Figures 3 and 4 are a front view and~a top view respectively of a front shell, Fi~ures 5 and ~ 6 are a front view and a sectional side view respectively ; ~ '~ ;'.:.

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of a back shell, Figure 7 is a sectional side view of a container comprising a filled ~luid chamber mounted in a house, Figure 8 is a sectional side view of container according to another embodiment, Figures g-11 illustrate step by step how the back she:Ll is attached to a mounting surface, Figure 12 shows an embodiment where the outside of the back shell is provided with flat surfaces, Figures 13a and 13b are front views of a p]eferred dispensing device, and Figures l~a and 14b are sections taken along the lines I-I in Figures 13a and 13b, respectively. The invention is however not restricted to these embodiments, but only to that stated in the accompanying claims.
Fig. 1 shows an empty fluid chamber 21 comprising a flexible sheeting 43 provided with an opening 25 to which a pipe end 42 is ~oined, preferably by welding. The mouth of the pipe end is provided with projecting means 27 extending into the fluid chamber 21 around the opening 25. The sheeting 43 is ~oined, preferably by welding, to an equally large flexible sheeting 24 tightly engaging the former 43.
Fig. 2 shows a spherical fluid chamber 21 filled with a fluid, for instance liquid detergent, on which the joint 41 between the two flexiblè sheetings 24, 43 extends along the equator of the sphere. A dispensing device 26 capable of creating a negative pressure is sealingly connected to the pipe end 42 through a connecting pipe 8. A preferred method of making a fluid chamber according to ~igs. 1 and 2 includes forming two endless sheetings, punching out openings 25 at predetermined distances in one of the sheetings and jolning a plpe end 42 to each opening 25, joining the two sheetings in ring shaped joints 41 and finally punching out every fluid chamber 21. The joining and punching is preferably performed in a mould shaped as a hemisphere in which the sheetings also are stretched, resulting in an empty fluid cham~er as shown ln fig. 1.
Each fluid chamber 21 can be filled through the plpe end ~2 before the disperlsing device ~6 is mounted.
Figs. 3 and 4 show a front shell 22 shaped as a hemlsphere and provided with an opening 50 for the dis-:: ~ : : ; ~ - , , 2~

pensing device 26 and a slot 51 extending from ~he opening 50 to the edge. The slot 51 can be widened to facilitate mounting of the front shell 22 to a fluid chamber 21 with a dispensing device 26. Further, the front shell 22 is 5 provided with symmetrically positioned locking means 52 which may be of any construction, such as L-shaped pro-jecting means.
Figs. 5 and 6 show a back shell 23 shaped as a hemisphere and provided with locking means 53 which fit into the locking means 52 of the front shell 22. Since the locking means 52, 53 are symmetrically positioned around the edges of the shells 22, 23 they can be mounted in as many different positions relative to each other as there are locking means 52, 53 on each shell 22, 23.
Fig 7 shows a container comprising a fluid chamber 21 mounted in a spherical house including a front shell 22 and a back shell 23 detachably assembled and enclosing said fluid chamber 21. The dlspenslng device 26 comprises a connecting pipe ~ mounted in the pipe end 42 so as to be sealingly connected to the opening 25. The fluid chamber 21 is filled and thus takes up substantially the entire spherical space between the shells 22, 23. As the fluid is being dispensed, the fluid chamber 21 collapses and air from the atmosphere enters through the joint between the : 25 shells 22, 23 and fills the increasing empty space thus reated i~ the house. The pro~ecting means 27 extending into the fluid chamber Zl will prevent any obstruction of ~ the openi~g 25 and thus enabling substantially complete : discharge of the fluid from the ~luid chamber 21.
Fiy. 8 shows another embodiment of a container according to the invention. The container comprises a house : of two equally large, detachably assembled shells, a front shell ~2 and a back ~hell 23, forming a closed spherical space enclosing a flexible sheeting 2~. The sheeting forms, together with the ~ront shell Z2, a fluid chamber 21. A
: dispensing device 26 capable of creating a negative pres-: sure is seallngly connected to an opening 25 provided inthe ~ront shell 22. The back: shell 23 may be the same as , ~ : , '. :: . ' .' .. . ' :', . . , ' , ' , ' ', ' ~ " ', ' . , ,' ., '', ' ' ' 2 ~

ln the embodiment described above. When the fluid chamber 21 is filled it takes up substantially the entire spherical space. A~ -the fluid is being dispensed, the fluid chamber 21 collapses and the sheeting 24 approaches the inner side 5 of the front shell 22. The reduction of the volume of the fluid chamber is compensated for by air entering the spherical space through the ~oint between the shells 22, 23. when the fluid chamber 21 has been emptied, the sheet-ing 24 tightly engages the front shell 22. The dispensing device 26 cornprises a connecting pipe 8 mounted in th~
front shell 22 so as to be sealingly connected to the open-ing 25 and so as to form a projecting portion 27 in the fluid chamber 21. The projecting portlon has slots 18 al-lowing fluid to enter even if the sheeting 24 enyages the mouth of the connecting pipe 8.
In both the embodiments according to Figs. 7 and 8, the back shell 23 is mounted in a holder 28 comprising an outwardly extending annular means 2g surrounding a pro-jecting sleeve 31. The annular means 29 and the sleeve 31 are formed with biaxial through bores 30, 36. The holder 28 also comprises a suction cup 32 whose central portion is provided with a projecting pin 33 having a biaxial through bore 3~. The inner diameter of the annular means 29 is slightIy smaller than the outer diameter of the suction cup 32j such that it engages the peripheral portion of the suction cup 32. The through bores 30, 3~ are so adjusted that the c~ntral portion of the suctlon cup 32 is li~ted when a pin or wedge 35, preferably having a pointed front portion, is passed therethrough for detachably mounting the container.
Flgs. 9~11 show, step by step, how a back shell 23 is attached to a ~lat mountiny surface. ~'irst, the suction cup 32 is pressed onto a surface, whereupon the holder 28 with the back shell 23 is applied to the suction cup 32, such 35~ that ths projecting pln 33 of the suction cup is inserted in the sleeve 3I and the annular means 29 holds the peri-phery of the suction cup 32 in place. The through bore 34 in~the pin 33 will then be located slightly below the ... . .

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through bores 30, 36 in khe annular rneans 29 and the sleeve 31. When the wedge 35 is inserted, the central portion of the suction cup 32 will be urged upwards so a to bring the through bore 34 into alignment with the through bores 30, 3 6 . AS a result, the negative pressure ln the suction cup 32 is increased, as is the force required for making the suction cup come loose from the mounting surface. When the back shell 23, as in Fig. 11, is firmly ixed to the mount-ing surface, the front shell 22, with the fluid chamber 21 and the fluid contained therein, can be mounted. If the container is to be detached from the mounting surface, the wedge 35 is extracted, whereby the suction cup 32 easily comes loose.
Fig. 12 shows an embodiment where the back shell 23 has an outer side in the form of a truncated pyramid. In this manner, the outside of the shell 23 will have five flat surfaces 40, all of which can be used as contact surfaces against a flat mounting surface. If the back shell 23 is made sufficiently heavy, the container will stand steadily on any of the surfaces 40. One or several of the flat surfaces 40 may be provided with an adhesive layer.
Figs. 13-14 show a preferred dispensing device comprising a pump 1 and a valve 2. The pump 1 has a mecha-nically actuated dome 3 of flexible material and a housing 4 o~ rigid material. The dome 3 is sealingly connected to the housing 4 by means of a mounting flange 5 engaging in a groove 6 in the housing 4, whereby the dome 3 and the hous-ing 4 will define a chamber 7 whose volume can ~e varied by mechanical actuation of the dome 3, as illustrated in Figs.
13b and 14b. Preferably, the dome is square shaped to fac1-litate deformation thereof, In the housing 4 opens a chan-nel 8 communicating with the fluid chamber 21 accordlng to the inventlon. The mouth 8a of the channel 8 forms, to~
gether with a tongue 3a extended from the dome 3, a non-35. return valve preventing fluid from flowing from the chamber 7 through the channel a and back into the fluid chamber 21 of th container.
The va].ve 2 has a channel 9 extending between an in-let end 3a opening into the chamber 7, and an outlet end9b and defining a direction o~ fluid flow as indicated by an arrow 10.
The channel 9 is defined by a body portion 11 of rigid material and a cover portion 12 of flexible material.
In the embodiment shown in the drawing, the body portion 11 is integrally formed with the housing 4 and the cover portlon 12 integrally formed with the dome 3. The body portion 11 is formed with a groove 13 which is arcuate in cross-section and defines the arc of an imaginary sector of a circle having an an~le of about 30 degrees. Llke the, dome 3, the cover portion 12 is sealingly connected to the body portion 11 by means of mounting flanges 14 which at the respective edges of the cover portion 12 extend ,n the ~5 direction of flow 10 and engage in corresponding grooves 15 in the body portion 11. Towards the outlet end 9b, the cover portion 12 gradually conforms to the shape of the groove 13 and is caused in one region to sealingly engage the wall of the groove 13. Thls sealing engagement is enhanced both by the combination of the concave shape of the cover portion 12 and its connection to the body portion 11, and by the fact that the thickness of the cover portion is smaller at the center than at the edges thereof, as appears from Figs. 13a and 13b~
Fluid is dispensed from the container described above in the following manner. It is assumed that the chamber 7 is filled with a fluid from the fluid chamber 21 in a container according to khe invention. Upon mechanlcal ac-tuation of the dome 3, as iIlustrated by an arrow 16 in Figs. 13b and 14b and brought about by pressure from e.g. a ~inger, a positive pressure ls created in the fluld. Thls positive pressure propagates through the channel 9 and im-parts to the cover portion 12 a locally convex shape in the region where i~ engages the wall of the groove 13, as illustrated in Fig. 13b~ The instantaneous formation of this convex shape is facllitated by said thickness distri-bution of the cover portlon and produces an opening 17 through wh~ch fluid can pass. The po~itive pressure in the :.

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chamber 7 and the channel 9 is then equalized and the dis pensing of fluid ceases. Thanks to the switching of the cover portion 12 between concave and convex shape, the valve 2 will open and close in a highly distinct manner.
s Thus, fluid is prevented from remaining between the cover portion 12 and the wall of the groove 13 after closure of the valve, which assists in creating an aseptic seal. AS
long as a positive pressure prevails, the valve 22 auto-matically closes by the non-return valve means 3a, 8a, thus preventing re~lux of fluid into the fluid chamber 21.
When the mechanical actuation of the dome 3 ceases, this will resume its initial shape, so that a negative pressure is created and fluid is again sucked into the chamber 7 from the fluid chamber 21 through-the channel 8. Thus, the volume of the fluid chamber 21 is reduced by collapsing while air is flowing into the spherical space through the joint between the shells 22, 23. When all the content is eventually discharged, the empty fluid chamber 21 with the dispensing device 26 is replaced.

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Claims

1. A fluid container for liquid detergent comprising:
a collapsible fluid chamber for holding a fluid, said chamber including at least one flexible portions and an opening;
a dispensing device sealingly connected to the opening, said dispensing device comprising a pump in the form of a manually actuated dome capable of creating a negative pressure for sucking the fluid from the fluid chamber and of creating a positive pressure for discharging the fluid through a channel communicating with the pump, and non-return valve means for preventing fluid from flowing back into the fluid chamber; and means provided near the opening and extending into the fluid chamber, for preventing obstruction of the opening by the flexible portion.

2. A fluid container as claimed in claim 1, further comprising a rigid housing in which the collapsible fluid chamber is mounted.

3. A fluid container as claimed in claim 2, wherein the housing comprises a front shell provided with an opening for the dispensing device and a back shell, the front and back shells being detachably assembled so as to form a closed, however not gas-tight, space enclosing the fluid chamber.

4. A fluid container as claimed in claim 3, wherein the front shell is provided with a slot extending from the edge of the shell to the opening for the dispensing device.

5. A fluid container as claimed in claim 1, wherein substantially the whole fluid chamber is flexible.

6. A fluid container as claimed in claim 1, wherein the fluid chamber is defined by a front shell and a flexible sheeting, which front shell is pro-vided with an opening sealingly connected to the dispensing device.

7. A fluid container as claimed in claim 1, wherein said container includes a holder comprising a suction cup which is intended to be detachably fixed to a surface and whose central portion is provided with projecting means having a biaxial through bore, and annular means which has a biaxial through bore and whose inner diameter is smaller than the outer diameter of the suction cup and which encompasses projecting means having a biaxial through bore for coaxially cooperating with said projecting means provided on the suction cup, and wherein all of said through bores are designed for the insertion of a pin or wedge therethrough, whereby the central portion of the suction cup is lifted when the pin or wedge is inserted.

8. A fluid container as claimed in claim 2, wherein the outer side of the housing is provided with one or more flat surfaces.

9. A fluid container as claimed in claim 1, wherein the channel has an inlet and an outlet end and an axial direction of fluid flow, means being provided at said outlet end for opening at a certain interior positive pressure and for closing when said positive pressure decreases.