Abstract: A precompression system for a liquid dispensing device is presented, that prevents liquid from being discharged until a predetermined pressure has been built up. The system comprises a pump for drawing liquid through an inlet and discharging it through an outlet, and a precompression valve disposed between the pump and the outlet. The valve allows liquid in the pump to reach the outlet once the predetermined pressure is established, and stops liquid from reaching the outlet once the pressure falls below it. The precompression valve comprises an elastic diaphragm normally closing the valve opening, with a concave surface facing the valve opening and in fluid communication with the pump and a convex surface in fluid communication with atmospheric pressure. The diaphragm may be stretched around a valve seat. Methods of assembling such a precompression system in a dispensing device are also presented.

Abstract: A precompression system for a liquid dispensing device is presented, that prevents liquid from being discharged until a predetermined pressure has been built up. The system comprises a pump for drawing liquid through an inlet and discharging it through an outlet, and a precompression valve disposed between the pump and the outlet. The valve allows liquid in the pump to reach the outlet once the predetermined pressure is established, and stops liquid from reaching the outlet once the pressure falls below it. The precompression valve comprises an elastic diaphragm normally closing the valve opening, with a concave surface facing the valve opening and in fluid communication with the pump and a convex surface in fluid communication with atmospheric pressure. The diaphragm may be stretched around a valve seat. Methods of assembling such a precompression system in a dispensing device are also presented.

Abstract: A pre-compression system for liquid dispensing devices, such as sprayers, is presented. The pre-compression system includes a pump chamber and a valve chamber including a pre-compression valve member. The valve member is operable to allow liquid in the pump chamber to exit via an outlet only after a predetermined pressure is reached in the pump chamber, and to stop liquid from exiting when the pressure in the pump chamber falls below the predetermined pressure. The valve member includes an elastic diaphragm and a valve seat. The valve member has a concave surface facing a valve seat opening and a convex surface in communication with atmospheric pressure.

Abstract: The invention relates to a device for dosed dispensing of a liquid from a container, comprising a housing (3) manufactured from plastic which can be connected to the container, a pump accommodated therein which can be operated by a trigger (8), and means (14) for resetting the trigger to a starting position. The housing takes a thin-walled form, for instance of polypropylene with a wall thickness of less than 1 mm, and has a number of stiffening ribs (17) extending inward from its side walls, while the pump can have a number of protruding supports engaging on the side walls of the housing. The trigger and the resetting means of the dosing device can be manufactured from a relatively more rigid type of plastic than the housing, for instance from a stiffer variant of the plastic used in the housing and/or the pump, and can be manufactured integrally. The invention also relates to a method for assembling such a dosing device.

Abstract: The invention relates to a dosing head (1) for dispensing a fluid from a container, comprising an inlet opening (4) for connecting to the container, an outlet opening (3) connected to the inlet opening (4) via a conduit, a pump (5) received in the conduit and a aerating opening (6) for connecting to the container (2), wherein a liquid seal (8) is arranged between the aerating opening (6) and the container (2). This liquid seal can comprise an aerating channel (15) rotated twice through about 180° and can be “assembled from two mutually connected parts (18, 19). The invention further relates to such a dosing head provided with a secondary inlet opening to be connected to the container and closable by means of an element which can be operated by gravity.

Abstract: The invention relates to a dispensing device, comprising a container and a dispensing head connected thereto, the container and head including a co-operating snap coupling means comprising a plurality of lugs arranged on one of the two parts to be connected and a plurality of recesses arranged in the other part for receiving the lugs in which at least one of the lugs is resiliently deformable and at least one other lug is relatively stiff and non-deformable. Such a dispensing device may swiftly and easily be filled and assembled. At least the lugs are advantageously made of a thermoplastic polyester, like e.g. PET. The invention further relates to a method for filling such a dispensing device with a medium to be dispensed.

Abstract: The invention relates to a method for fixing a relatively flexible element (3) in a tube (2) with tight fitting, by arranging around the flexible element a co-displacing member (5) which encloses this element, and forcing the co-displacing member into the tube while co-displacing therewith the flexible element. The co-displacing member can herein be releasably connected to the tube or the flexible element, and the connection can be broken when the co-displacing member is forced into the tube. The invention also relates to an assembly of a tube and a relatively flexible element for receiving therein with tight fitting, for use in such a method, which is provided with a co-displacing member for arranging around the flexible element and enclosing this element. The co-displacing member can be releasably connected to the tube or the flexible element, for instance be formed integrally with the tube, wherein a weakened portion (6) is then formed between the tube and the co-displacing member.

Abstract: A liquid dispenser includes a container having an opening for receiving a liquid, and a dispenser subassembly having an outlet and a closing member cooperating with the outlet, the closing member being movable between a first closed position whereby the closing member engages the container opening and a second open position whereby the closing member is remote from the container opening. At least part of the dispensing subassembly is preformed on the container and the remaining part of the dispenser subassembly is connectable therewith.

Abstract: A precompression system for a liquid dispenser prevents liquid from being discharged from the dispenser until a predetermined pressure level has been attained within the dispenser. The liquid dispenser preferably has a liquid inlet and a liquid outlet for discharging the liquid. The precompression system includes a pump chamber having a piston movable in the pump chamber for drawing liquid through the inlet and discharging the liquid through the outlet. The precompression system also includes a valve chamber having a spring valve disposed between the pump chamber and the outlet and being operable to allow liquid in the pump chamber to reach the outlet only after a predetermined pressure is established in the pump chamber and to stop liquid from reaching the outlet when the pressure in the pump chamber falls below the predetermined pressure.

Abstract: A liquid dispenser includes a dispenser subassembly having an inlet, an outlet, and a pump in fluid communication with the inlet and the outlet, the pump being movable between a first position and a second position. The liquid dispenser also has a container including an opening for receiving a liquid and an actuating element connected thereto. The actuating element is engagable with the dispenser subassembly when the container and the dispenser subassembly are assembled together. Engagement of the actuating element with the dispenser subassembly is a prerequisite for operating the pump and dispensing the liquid from the dispenser. Also disclosed is a method of priming a liquid dispenser during final assembly thereof whereby the liquid dispenser will be immediately ready to discharge a liquid without further priming, such as is required with conventional liquid dispensers.