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Claims  |
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Having thus described the invention, what is claimed is:
1. A lockable fluid dispenser cap for use with a fluid product dispensing
pump having a cylinder and a piston mounted by the cylinder for reciprocal
movement to draw a fluid product through the cylinder and piston and
dispense the fluid product outwardly through a fluid discharge outlet in
an outer end of the piston, said lockable dispenser cap comprising:
(a) a container closure adapted for attachment to an upper end of a
container holding the fluid product and for mounting the pump at the
cylinder thereof so as to support the pump in the container;
(b) at least one locking finger mounted to said closure and adapted to
extend along an outer portion of the piston when the pump is mounted to
said closure, said locking finger normally positioned in an outward
radially spaced relation from the piston but being yieldably flexible for
bending toward the piston;
(c) a lock actuating member rotatably mounted to said closure and disposed
adjacent said locking finger, said lock actuating member having at least
one cam element which upon rotation of said lock actuating member in one
direction moves toward said locking finger to forcibly bend said finger
toward the piston and into a locking relation therewith whereas upon
rotation of said lock actuating member in an opposite direction said cam
element moves away from said locking finger permitting said finger to
return to its normal position spaced from the piston and into an unlocking
relation therewith;
(d) a pump actuating member connected to the piston and coupled to said
lock actuating member for rotational movement to cause rotation of said
lock actuating member therewith for positioning said locking finger in its
respective locking and unlocking relations with the piston, said pump
actuating member also coupled to said lock actuating member so as to be
capable of reciprocal movement relative thereto for causing dispensing of
fluid product from the piston when said locking finger is in its unlocking
relation with the piston but incapable of reciprocal movement when said
locking finger is in its locking relation with the piston; and
(e) said pump actuating member including an outer fluid collecting dish
having at least one inlet hole defined therein in communication with the
fluid discharge opening in the outer end of the piston for dispensing of
fluid product from the piston onto said outer collecting dish.
2. The discharge cap of claim wherein said hole defined in said outer
collecting dish is smaller in size than the discharge opening in the
piston outer end so as to preclude extension of the same therethrough.
3. The discharge cap of claim 1 wherein said pump actuating member also
includes an inner hub adapted to receive and extend in attached relation
over the upper end of the piston, said hub upon reciprocal movement of
said pump actuating member being movable along said locking finger when
said locking finger is in unlocking relation with the piston thereby
permitting reciprocal movement of the piston toward and away from the
cylinder for discharging fluid product outwardly through the piston
discharge opening to said outer dish, said hub being engagable with said
locking finger and thus prevented from movement therealong when said
locking finger is in locking relation with the piston thereby preventing
reciprocal movement of said pump actuating member and the piston therewith
for dispensing fluid product to said outer dish.
4. The dispenser cap of claim 1 further comprising:
a cover hingedly connected to said pump actuating member so as to overlie
said outer fluid collecting dish and being movable between opened and
closed positions relative thereto.
5. The dispenser cap of claim 1 wherein a plurality of locking fingers are
mounted to said closure and spaced circumferentially about the piston when
the pump is mounted to said closure.
6. The dispenser cap of claim 1 wherein said lock actuating member is a
locking ring including an outer annular ring portion at which said locking
ring is rotatably mounted to said closure.
7. The dispenser cap of claim 6 wherein said locking ring also includes an
inner annular ring portion attached to said outer ring portion, said outer
ring portion being located in outward radially spaced relation to said
inner ring portion so as to define an annular channel therebetween.
8. The dispenser cap of claim 7 wherein said inner ring portion surrounds
said locking finger and the piston outer portion and has said inner cam
element defined thereon such that rotation of said ring moves said inner
ring portion and said cam element therewith.
9. The dispenser cap of claim 3 wherein said inner hub of said pump
actuating member is attached to and depends from an underside of said
outer dish.
10. The dispenser cap of claim 9 wherein said pump actuating member further
includes an outer annular cover attached to and depending from an
underside of said outer dish so as to surround and extend past said
container closure into overlapping and reciprocally movable relation with
the upper end of the container when the piston is reciprocally moved
relative to the cylinder.
11. The dispenser cap of claim 10 wherein said pump actuating member still
further includes an intermediate sleeve being disposed between and spaced
radially from said inner hub and outer cover, said intermediate sleeve
being coupled to said lock actuating member so as to permit said
reciprocal movement relative thereto but cause said rotation of said lock
actuating member upon rotational movement of said pump actuating member.
12. The dispenser cap of claim 11 wherein said lock actuating member is a
locking ring including an outer annular ring portion at which said ring is
rotatably mounted to said closure.
13. The dispenser cap of claim 12 wherein said locking ring also includes
an inner annular ring portion attached to said outer ring portion, said
outer ring portion being located in outward radially spaced relation to
said inner ring portion so as to define an annular channel in which said
intermediate sleeve of said pump actuating member is mounted for coupling
said pump actuating member to said lock actuating member.
14. The dispenser cap of claim 13 wherein a plurality of said locking
fingers are mounted to said closure and spaced circumferentially about the
piston when the pump is mounted to said closure.
15. The dispenser cap of claim 14 wherein said inner ring portion surrounds
said locking fingers and the piston outer portion and has a plurality said
inner cam elements defined thereon such that rotation of said ring moves
said inner ring portion and said cam elements therewith.
16. A lockable fluid dispenser for use on a container holding a fluid
product, said dispenser comprising:
(a) a fluid product dispensing pump having a cylinder and a piston mounted
by said cylinder for reciprocal movement to draw a fluid product through
said cylinder and piston and dispense the fluid product outwardly through
a fluid discharge outlet in an outer end of said piston; and
(b) a lockable dispenser cap adapted to support said pump in the container,
said dispenser cap including
(i) a container closure adapted for attachment to an upper end of the
container and for mounting said pump at said cylinder thereof so as to
support said pump in the container,
(ii) a plurality of locking fingers mounted to said closure, adapted to
extend along an outer portion of said piston and spaced circumferentially
about said piston, said locking fingers normally positioned in an outward
radially spaced relation from said piston but being yieldably flexible for
bending toward said piston,
(iii) a lock actuating member rotatably mounted to said closure and
disposed adjacent said locking fingers, said lock actuating member having
a plurality of cam elements which upon rotation of said lock actuating
member in one direction move toward said locking fingers to forcibly bend
said fingers toward said piston and into a locking relation therewith
whereas upon rotation of said lock actuating member in an opposite
direction said cam elements move away from said locking fingers permitting
said fingers to return to their normal positions spaced from said piston
and into an unlocking relation therewith, and
(iv) a pump actuating member connected to said piston and coupled to said
lock actuating member for rotational movement to cause rotation of said
lock actuating member therewith for positioning said locking fingers in
respective locking and unlocking relations with said piston, said pump
actuating member also coupled to said lock actuating member so as to be
capable of reciprocal movement relative thereto for causing dispensing of
fluid product from said piston when said locking fingers are in unlocking
relation with said piston but incapable of reciprocal movement when said
locking fingers are in locking relation with said piston,
(v) said pump actuating member including an outer fluid collecting dish
having at least one inlet hole defined therein in communication with the
fluid discharge opening in the outer end of said piston for dispensing of
fluid product from the piston onto said outer collecting dish.
17. The discharge cap of claim 16 wherein said hole defined in said outer
collecting dish is smaller in size than the discharge opening in the
piston outer end so as to preclude extension of the same therethrough.
18. The fluid dispenser of claim 16 further comprising:
a cover hingedly connected to said pump actuating member so as to overlie
said outer fluid collecting dish and being movable between opened and
closed positions relative thereto.
19. The fluid dispenser of claim 16 wherein said lock actuating member is a
locking ring including an outer annular ring portion at which said ring is
rotatably mounted to said closure.
20. The fluid dispenser of claim 19 wherein said locking ring also includes
an inner annular ring portion attached to said outer ring portion, said
outer ring portion being located in outward radially spaced relation to
said inner ring portion so as to define an annular channel therebetween.
21. The fluid dispenser of claim 20 wherein said inner ring portion
surrounds said locking fingers and the piston outer portion and has said
cam elements defined thereon such that rotation of said ring moves said
inner ring portion and said cam elements therewith.
22. The fluid dispenser of claim 16 wherein said pump actuating member also
includes an inner hub adapted to receive and extend in attached relation
over said upper end of said piston, said hub upon reciprocal movement of
said pump actuating member being movable along said locking fingers when
said fingers are in unlocking relation with said piston thereby permitting
reciprocal movement of said piston toward and away from said cylinder for
discharging fluid product outwardly through said piston discharge opening
to said outer dish, said hub being engagable with said locking fingers and
thus prevented from movement therealong when said fingers are in locking
relation with said piston thereby preventing reciprocal movement of said
pump actuating member and said piston therewith for dispensing fluid
product to said outer dish.
23. The fluid dispenser of claim 22 wherein said inner hub of said pump
actuating member is attached to and depends from an underside of said
outer dish.
24. The dispenser cap of claim 22 wherein said pump actuating member
further includes an outer annular cover attached to and depending from
said underside of said outer dish so as to surround and extend past said
container closure into overlapping and reciprocally movable relation with
said upper end of the container when said piston is reciprocally moved
relative to said cylinder.
25. The dispenser cap of claim 24 wherein said pump actuating member still
further includes an intermediate sleeve being disposed between and spaced
radially from said inner hub and outer cover, said intermediate sleeve
being coupled to said lock actuating member so as to permit said
reciprocal movement relative thereto but cause said rotation of said lock
actuating member upon rotational movement of said pump actuating member. |
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Claims |
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Description |
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BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
The present invention relates generally to dispensing apparatus and, more
particularly, is concerned with a fluid dispenser cap having a fluid
collecting dish integrally formed with a lockable pump actuator.
An automatic fluid dispenser cap having a top fluid collecting dish and
being manually depressible to actuate a reciprocal pump for delivering
fluid axially upward into the collecting dish has been commercially
produced and sold by Menda Scientific Products, Inc. of Santa Barbara,
Calif. for many years. U.S. Pat. No. 2,593,591 to Menkin et al and
assigned to Menda Scientific Products, Inc., also the assignee of the
present invention, discloses several embodiments representative of such
fluid dispenser cap.
The Menda fluid dispenser cap has been used on containers holding a wide
variety of different fluids, for example, alcohol, solvents and cosmetic
liquids. It is designed for one-handed operation by eliminating the need
to grasp the container and remove a cap or stopper before dispensing the
fluid. By simply depressing the cap only as much fluid as is needed can be
dispensed into the collecting dish or directly onto the applicator such as
a cotton ball, cloth or brush. This eliminates loss to evaporation and
spills.
The commercial acceptability of the above-described mode of operation makes
adaptation of the Menda fluid dispenser cap to other uses highly
desirable. One such use is in conjunction with retail consumer products
wherein the container, fluid product and dispenser are typically assembled
together and then shipped to retail stores. Thus, one important design
consideration in adapting the Menda fluid dispenser cap for such use is to
provide a way to prevent leakage of the product during shipment.
Fluid dispensers are known in the prior patent art which incorporate means
for sealing and/or locking its pump mechanism to prevent leakage and
evaporation of product during shipping, storage and periods of non-use.
Some representative examples are the dispensers disclosed in U.S. Patents
to Lipman (U.S. Pat. No. 3,185,355), Thompson (U.S. Pat. No. 3,263,871)
and Anderson et al (U.S. Pat. No. 4,162,746) and a pump dispenser
commercially produced by Calmar Industries. However, none of these prior
art dispensers appear to have a construction readily compatible with the
Menda-type fluid dispenser cap. Thus, a need exists for a way to adapt the
Menda-type fluid dispenser cap for use with containers holding retail or
consumer products to this prior art. Menda has chosen to adapt the
Anderson/Calmar design to this purpose.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
The present invention provides a lockable fluid dispenser cap designed to
satisfy the aforementioned needs. The lockable fluid dispenser cap of the
present invention advantageously has a fluid collecting dish integrally
formed with a lockable fluid pump actuator. The marriage of these two
components together provides a lockable fluid dispenser cap highly
desirable for the following reasons. First, the product can now be
protected effectively from leakage and evaporation during shipping,
storage and periods of non-use. Second, the superior dispensing capability
associated heretofore with the prior art Menda-type fluid dispenser of
dispensing upon one-handed touch by the user without creating waste,
dripping or spillage, can now be utilized by a wide variety of consumer
product containers.
Accordingly, the present invention is directed to a lockable fluid
dispenser cap for use with a fluid product dispensing pump. The dispensing
pump has a cylinder and a piston mounted by the cylinder for reciprocal
movement to draw a fluid product through the cylinder and piston and
dispense the fluid product outwardly through a fluid discharge outlet in
an outer end of the piston. The cap of the present invention comprises:
(a) a container closure; (b) at least one locking finger mounted to the
closure; (c) a lock actuating member rotatably mounted to the closure; and
(d) a pump actuating member coupled to the lock actuating member.
More particularly, the closure is adapted for attachment through
conventional screw threads to an upper end of a container which holds the
fluid product and for mounting the pump at the cylinder thereof so as to
support the pump in the container. Preferably, a plurality of locking
fingers are mounted to the closure, extend along an outer portion of the
piston, and are spaced circumferentially thereabout. The locking fingers
are normally positioned in an outward radially spaced relation from the
piston outer portion but are yieldably flexible for bending toward the
piston outer portion.
Further, the lock actuating member rotatably mounted to the closure is
disposed adjacent the locking fingers and has a plurality of cam elements
which upon rotation of the lock actuating member in one direction move
toward the locking fingers to forcibly bend the fingers toward the piston
outer portion and into a locking relation therewith. On the other hand,
rotation of the lock actuating member in an opposite direction moves the
cam elements away from the locking fingers permitting them to return to
their normal positions spaced from the piston outer portion and into an
unlocking relation therewith.
Also, the pump actuating member is coupled to the lock actuating member for
reciprocal movement which does not result in any movement of the lock
actuating member and for rotational movement which causes rotation of the
lock actuating member therewith. The pump actuating member includes an
outer fluid collecting dish having at least on inlet hole defined therein
in communication with the fluid discharge opening in the outer end of the
piston but smaller in size than that of the piston outer end so as to
preclude extension of the same therethrough. The pump actuating member
also includes an inner hub adapted to receive and extend in attached
relation over the upper end of the piston. The hub is movable inside the
locking fingers when they are in unlocking relation with the piston
thereby permitting reciprocal movement of the piston toward and away from
the cylinder for discharging fluid product outwardly through the piston
discharge opening to the outer dish upon reciprocal movement of the pump
actuating member. On the other hand, the hub is engagable with the locking
fingers and thus prevented from reciprocal movement therealong when they
are in locking relation with the piston thereby preventing reciprocal
movement of the pump actuating member and the piston therewith for
dispensing fluid product to the outer dish.
The dispenser cap further includes a cover hingedly connected to the pump
actuating member so as to overlie the outer fluid collecting dish. The
cover is movable between opened and closed positions relative to the
collecting dish.
Still further, the lock actuating member is a locking ring which includes
an outer annular ring portion at which the ring is rotatably mounted to
the closure, and an inner annular ring portion attached to the outer ring
portion. The outer ring portion is located in outward radially spaced
relation to the inner ring portion so as to define an annular channel
therebetween. The inner ring portion surrounds the locking fingers and the
piston outer portion and has the cam elements defined thereon such that
rotation of the ring moves the inner ring portion and the cam elements
therewith.
Furthermore, the inner hub of the pump actuating member is attached to and
depends from an underside of the outer dish. The pump actuating member
further includes an outer annular cover attached to and depending from
dish underside so as to surround and extend past the container closure
into overlapping and reciprocally movable relation with the upper end of
the container when the piston is reciprocally moved relative to the
cylinder. Still further, the pump actuating member includes an
intermediate sleeve disposed between and spaced radially from the inner
hub and outer cover. The intermediate sleeve extends into the locking ring
channel and is coupled to the locking ring so as to permit reciprocal
movement within the channel relative thereto but cause rotation of the
locking ring upon rotational movement of the pump actuating member.
These and other advantages and attainments of the present invention will
become apparent to those skilled in the art upon a reading of the
following detailed description when taken in conjunction with the drawings
wherein there is shown and described an illustrative embodiment of the
invention.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
In the course of the following detailed description, reference will be made
to the attached drawings in which:
FIG. 1 is a top plan view of a lockable fluid dispenser cap constructed in
accordance with the principles of the present invention.
FIG. 2 is a longitudinal axial sectional view of the dispenser cap taken
along line 2----2 of FIG. 1, showing the dispenser cap in a locked
condition.
FIG. 2A is an enlarged detailed view of the portion of the dispenser cap
encircled by the dashed oval in FIG. 2 identified by the reference letter
"B".
FIG. 3 is a cross-sectional view of the dispenser cap taken along line
3----3 of FIG. 2, showing the positions of a plurality of locking fingers
of the dispenser cap when the dispenser cap is in its locked condition.
FIG. 4 is a longitudinal axial sectional view of the dispenser cap similar
to that of FIG. 2, but showing the dispenser cap in an unlocked condition
with the plunger in depressed position.
FIG. 5 is a cross-sectional view of the dispenser cap taken along line 5--5
of FIG. 4, showing the positions of locking fingers of the dispenser cap
when the dispenser cap is in its unlocked condition.
DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION
Referring now to the drawings, and particularly to FIGS. 1 to 3, there is
shown a preferred embodiment of a lockable fluid dispenser cap, being
indicated generally by the numeral 10 and constructed in accordance with
the principles of the present invention. The lockable fluid dispenser cap
10 is adapted for use with a fluid product dispensing pump 12 on a
container 14 which holds a fluid product. The dispensing pump 12 is
conventional per se, and thus it is not necessary to illustrate or
describe it in detail herein in order to understand the dispenser cap 10
of the present invention. Suffice it to say that the pump 12 has a hollow
cylinder 16 and a hollow piston 18 mounted by the cylinder 16 for vertical
reciprocal movement along the longitudinal axis of the cylinder 16. Upon
reciprocal movement through a complete stroke, first downward and then
upward relative to the cylinder 16, the piston 18 is operable to draw
fluid product from the container 14 upwardly through the cylinder 16 and
itself and cause dispensing of the fluid product outwardly through a fluid
discharge outlet 20 in an outer end 22 of the piston 18.
The lockable fluid dispenser cap 10 of the present invention basically
includes a container closure 24, at least one and, preferably, a plurality
of locking fingers 26 mounted to the closure 24, a lock actuating member
28 rotatably mounted to the closure 24, and a pump actuating member 30
coupled to the lock actuating member 28.
More particularly, the closure 24 of the dispenser cap 10 has an outer
tubular portion 32 and an inner annular rim portion 34. The closure outer
tubular portion 32 has lower internal threads 36 threadable with external
threads 38 about the top of the container 14 to attach the dispenser cap
10 to the container 14. Further, the closure outer tubular portion 32 has
an internal annular bead 40 at its upper edge which is received in an
external annular recess 42 formed in the lock actuating member 28 to
rotatably mount the lock actuating member 28 within the outer tubular
portion 32 of the closure 24. The closure inner rim portion 34 has a
step-like configuration in axial section defining an internal recess 41
adapted to receive a top ledge 43 on the upper end of the pump cylinder 16
for supporting the pump 12 at its cylinder 16 in the container.
The locking fingers 26 of the dispenser cap 10, for instance being three in
number, are mounted upright on the inner rim portion 34 of the closure 24.
The fingers 26 are spaced circumferentially from one another about the
periphery of a central opening 44 in the inner rim portion 34 of the
closure 24 through which extends the cylindrical outer portion 46 of the
reciprocal pump piston 18. The fingers 26 extend in upstanding fashion
along the piston outer portion 46 and, as seen in FIGS. 4 and 5, are
normally positioned in an outward radially spaced relation from the piston
outer portion 46. However, the locking fingers 26, preferably fabricated
by a suitable molding process of a suitable resilient plastic material,
such as polypropylene, as part of a one-piece unit with the closure 24,
are yieldably flexible making them capable of bending toward the piston
outer portion 46.
As mentioned previously, the lock actuating member 28 of the dispenser cap
10 being in the form of a locking ring is rotatably mounted to the closure
24. The locking ring 28 includes an outer annular ring portion 48 and an
inner annular ring portion 50. The outer ring portion 48 has the external
annular recess 42 by which the locking ring 28 is rotatably mounted to the
internal annular bead 40 of the closure 24. The inner ring portion 50 is
attached to the outer ring portion 48 at the respective lower exterior and
interior peripheries thereof by an annular flat web portion 52. The outer
ring portion 48 is thus located in outward radially spaced relation to the
inner ring portion 50 so as to define an annular gap or channel 54
therebetween being open at its top and the bottom of which is defined by
the web portion 52 of the locking ring 28. Preferably, the outer and inner
ring portions 48, 50 and the bottom web portion 52 of the locking ring 28
are fabricated as a onepiece unit by a suitable molding process of a
suitable plastic material, such as polypropylene.
The inner ring portion 50 is disposed adjacent to and surrounds the
upstanding and angularly displaced locking fingers 26 and the piston outer
portion 46. The inner ring portion 50 has cam elements 56 defined on the
upper extent thereof which project radially inward toward the piston outer
portion 46 and are radially displaced from a central axis A of the
dispensing cap 10 through the same distance as the locking fingers 26. The
cam elements 56 are the same in number as the locking fingers 26, such
being three as seen in FIGS. 3 and 5.
The locking fingers 26 are forced into a locking relation with the pump
piston outer portion 46 upon rotation of the locking ring 28 in one
direction and are permitted to return to an unlocking relation with the
pump piston outer portion 46 upon rotation of the locking ring 28 in an
opposite direction. Specifically, upon rotation of the locking ring 28 in
the counterclockwise direction, from the position seen in FIG. 5 to the
position seen in FIG. 3, the cam elements 56 are move along a circular
path toward the locking fingers 26 and forcibly engage the fingers 26 at
their leading longitudinally bevelled or tapered surfaces 58 and cause
slight inwardly-directed bending of the fingers 26 at their upper
portions, as depicted in FIG. 2, toward the piston outer portion 46 and
into the locking relation therewith as seen in FIGS. 2 and 3. On the other
hand, upon rotation of the locking ring 28 in the opposite clockwise
direction, from the position seen in FIG. 3 to the position seen in FIG.
5, the cam elements 56 are moved away from the locking fingers 26
permitting them to resiliently return to their normal positions spaced
from the piston outer portion 46 and into the unlocking relation therewith
as seen in FIGS. 4 and 5.
The pump actuating member 30 of the dispenser cup 10 is coupled to the
locking ring 28 both for reciprocal movement relative thereto which does
not result in any movement of the locking ring 28 and for rotational
movement which, in turn, rotatably carries the locking ring 28 with it.
Basically, the pump actuating member 30 includes an outer fluid collecting
dish 60, an inner annular hub 62, an outer annular cover 64, and an
intermediate annular sleeve 66.
More particularly, the outer collecting dish 60 of the pump actuating
member 30 has an overall concave shape adapting it to hold a small
quantity of the fluid product therein. The outer dish 60 has several inlet
holes or orifices 68 defined in the center thereof which communicate with
the fluid discharge outlet or opening 20 in the outer end 22 of the pump
piston 18 for receiving the fluid product therefrom. However, each of the
orifices 68 is smaller in diameter of the outside of the piston outer end
22 so as to preclude extension of the latter through the orifices 68.
The inner annular hub 62 of the pump actuating member 30 is attached to and
depends from the underside of the outer dish 60. The hub 62 is of an
interior diameter size adapting it to receive and extend over the outer
end 22 of the piston 18. The hub 62 and piston outer end 22 have
respective complementarily-configured annular recesses 70 and ribs 72
thereon for attaching the hub 62 to the piston outer end 22.
The hub 62 is movable along the locking fingers 26, if the fingers 26 are
in their outwardly spaced unlocking relation with the piston 18 as seen in
FIGS. 4 and 5, by moving the pump actuating member 30 through a complete
reciprocatory stroke. The pump actuating member 30 is shown at the outward
beginning and ending positions of the stroke in FIG. 2 and inward
intermediate position of the stroke in FIG. 4. Such movement of the pump
actuating member 30 causes reciprocal movement of the piston outer portion
46 toward and away from the pump cylinder 16 for discharging fluid product
outwardly through the piston discharge opening 20 and inlet orifices 68 of
the outer dish 60 onto the upper side of the outer dish. On the other
hand, the inner end 74 of the inner hub 62 is engagable with the outer
tips 76 of the locking fingers 26 and thus the hub is prevented from
reciprocal movement therealong if the fingers 26 are in locking relation
with the piston 18 as seen in FIGS. 2 and 3. The pump actuating member 30
and piston 18 therewith are thereby prevented from undergoing reciprocal
movement for dispensing fluid product to the outer dish 60.
The outer annular cover 64 of the pump actuating member 30 is attached to
and depends from the underside of a peripheral rim 78 of the collecting
dish 60 so as to surround and extend past the container closure 24 into an
overlapping and reciprocally movable relation with the upper end of the
container 14. The outer surface 80 of the outer cover 64 can be manually
gripped by a user's fingers in order to rotate the pump actuating member
30 to, in turn, rotate the locking ring 28 to position the locking fingers
26 in the desired locking or unlocking relation with the piston outer
portion 46 and the inner hub 62 of the pump actuating member 30.
The intermediate annular sleeve 66 of the pump actuating member 30 is
likewise attached to the underside of the outer collecting dish 60 of the
pump actuating member 30. The intermediate sleeve 66 is disposed between
and spaced radially from the inner hub 62 and outer cover 64. The
intermediate sleeve 66 extends into the locking ring open-topped annular
channel 54 and is coupled to the locking ring 28 so as to permit
reciprocal movement within the channel 54 relative thereto but cause
rotation of the locking ring 28 upon rotational movement of the pump
actuating member 30. As can be best seen in FIGS. 3 and 5,
complementarily-shaped intermeshing longitudinal grooves 82 and ribs 84
are formed respectively in the opposite sides of the intermediate sleeve
66 and on the facing surfaces of the outer and inner ring portions 48, 50
defining the annular channel 54 therebetween. It is these intermeshing
grooves and ribs 82, 84 which allow reciprocal movement of the pump
actuating member 30 relative to the locking ring 28 but require rotational
movement of the locking ring 28 with the pump actuating member 30.
Finally, the dispenser cap 10 includes a circular cover 86 connected by a
hinge 88 to the peripheral rim 78 of the outer collecting dish 60 of the
pump actuating member 30 so as to overlie and sealably close the outer
dish 60. The inner periphery of the cover 86 is sized and shaped with
respect to the peripheral rim 78 of the outer dish 60 to make a snap fit
therewith. The hinge 88 allows the cover 86 to be movable between opened
and closed positions relative to the collecting dish 60 while maintaining
attachment thereto. As seen in FIG. 1, a solid circle 90, an open circle
92 and an arrow 94 extending therebetween are formed in a raised
configuration on the upper side of the cover 86 to indicate to a user the
directions in which to rotate the pump actuating member 30 for locking and
unlocking the member 30. The cover 86, the hinge 88 and the respective
parts of the plug actuating member 30 are fabricated as a one-piece unit
by a suitable molding process of a suitable plastic material, such as
polypropylene. Many other suitable cap structures can be utilized.
It is thought that the present invention and many of its attendant
advantages will be understood from the foregoing description and it will
be apparent that various changes may be made in the form, construction and
arrangement of the parts thereof without departing from the spirit and
scope of the invention or sacrificing all of its material advantages, the
form hereinbefore described being merely a preferred or exemplary
embodiment thereof.
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