MXPA99011027A - Improved liquid dispenser for dispensing foam - Google Patents

Abstract

There is disclosed a foaming device for dispensing foam. The device includes a collapsible liquid container (30) and a foam pump (36) attached to the container outlet. The foam pump includes two enclosures (40, 86), the first (40) being bonded in the throat (34) of the container and the second (86) being telescopingly received in the first with a flexible seal (94) mounted on the second enclosure (86) to provide an air tight seal. When assembled, the two enclosures define an air chamber (104) and a fluid chamber (50, 70) each having outlets whichmerge by the foamer outlet. The fluid chamber accepts liquid from the container and when the second member (86) is moved with respect to the first member (40) the fluid chamber is pressurized to open an outlet valve (71) and air is simultaneously expelled through the outlet. The liquid and air commingle as they pass through a wire, plastic or fabric mesh (84) thereby forming the foam. There is included a dispenser housing for releasibly receiving the collapsible liquid container and foam pump. The dispenser includes a push button pivotally attached thereto which is coupled to the second enclosure so that as the push button is moved the pump is actuated. The foaming device can be used in any orientation and air is prevented from contacting the solution contained in the bottle (30).

Description

IMPROVED SUPPLIER OF LIQUID TO SUPPLY FOAM FIELD OF THE INVENTION The present invention relates to liquid dispensers, and more particularly to dispensers that supply liquid in the form of foam.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION The liquid dispensers for supplying soaps and the like are well known. A large number of dispensers for supplying, for example, hand cleaning soaps, supply the liquid itself. In several of the applications it is preferred to supply the soap in the form of foam. The foams tend to spread more easily than the corresponding liquid and in addition there is much less waste due to splashing or spillage, since the foam has a surface tension greater than that of the liquid. A foam requires less liquid to produce the same cleaning energy as that obtained with the liquid without foam due to the much greater surface area of the former. The foaming devices known from the prior art are generally of two types. In the first type of foaming agent, such as that described in the Patents of E.U.A. Nos. 4,019,657 and 3,709,437, the foam is produced by an air jet. A disadvantage in this type of foamer is that the quality of the foam varies as the supply force varies. The second type of foam dispenser, as described in US Patents. Nos. 3,422,993 and 3,985,271, it uses a porous material through which the foamable liquid is pumped, thereby mixing the liquid with air to form the foam. The drawback of this type of foamer is that a considerable amount of pressure is required to push the liquid through the porous material. A further drawback of both types of foam dispensers is that the foamer is located at the top of the spout and a tube extends to the bottom of the liquid storage container, so that considerable force must be applied to pump the liquid. liquid until the foaming agent and to supply it from the same. Examples of other dispensers based on this principle which are described in EP-A-392 238, EP-A-565 713 and EP-A-618 147 relate to liquid dispensers comprising a bottle with a manually operated pump in the neck of the bottle. Each of the devices described in said references includes a hose that extends to the bottom of the bottle, so that the liquid must be pumped against gravity in the mixing chamber. As stated above, a major drawback of such configurations is that as the liquid is reduced, greater force must be exerted in the pumping procedure in order to raise the liquid from the lower part of the container during liquid delivery. These types of jets are also limited in the sense that they should be used in the upright vertical position. In several of the foaming devices of the prior art, the foaming unit is separated from the container containing the liquid. When replacing the liquid container, the operator usually has to connect the foaming unit to the liquid container, which can be a drawback. Therefore, it may be advantageous to provide a foam jet that allows convenient and quick replacement of the liquid container in the jet. Detergents or liquid hand cleaning soaps generally require preservatives to increase the shelf life of the detergent. Antioxidants are typically present as an additive to reduce oxidation in soap in the presence of air that is usually present in the soap container and this is added to the cost of the soap. In the presence of air, several soaps tend to thicken, which requires the increase of the force to supply the liquid. The thickened liquid is susceptible to coagulate in the supply path the dispensing bottles described in EP-A-392 238, EP-A-565 713 and EP-A-618 147 are open to prevent a negative pressure from forming on the bottles as the liquid is expelled from the bottles. The Patent of E.U.A. No. 5,445,288 discloses a foaming device using a collapsible container.

Accordingly, it would be advantageous to provide a spout that produces and supplies a liquid in the form of a foam in which the liquid is not exposed to air until it is expelled from the container portion of the spout liquid.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION It is an object of the present invention to provide a dispenser for supplying self-cleaning and sealing foam so that the liquid contained within the dispenser is not exposed to the air until it is ejected from the containment portion of the spout liquid. The present invention provides a device for producing and supplying foam, comprising a collapsible container having an interior and a throat and a pump means attached to the container. The pump means includes a first housing member sealed in the throat with a tight air seal, a second housing member and a flexible seal member attached to the second housing member. The second housing member engages the first housing member and is movable telescopically therein. The first and second housing members cooperate to define an air chamber and a flow passage and the flexible seal provides a seal against air between the first and second housing members. The flow passage is in flow communication with the interior of the collapsible container and the air chamber is in communication with a mixing chamber. The device includes a fluid inlet valve to admit liquid in the flow passage from the interior of the container to the fluid outlet valve in the flow passage to flow the liquid from the flow passage in the mixing chamber . The device includes an outlet passage communicating with the mixing chamber, and a porous member located in the mixing chamber downstream from the fluid outlet valve to generate turbulence in the mixed air and liquid passing through the same The movement of the second housing member towards the first housing member reduces the volume of the air chamber and the volume of the fluid chamber, and pressurizes the air in the air and liquid chamber in the flow and force passage to the air and liquid mixed through the porous member to form a foam expelled through the exit passage.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS The following is a description, by way of example only, of the liquid dispenser for supplying foam forming the present invention, reference being made to the accompanying drawings, in which: Figure 1 is a perspective view of a dispenser housing constructed of according to the present invention; Figure 2 is a perspective view of a liquid container and foam pump attached thereto; Figure 3 is a exploded perspective view of the foam pump of Figure 2; Figure 4 is a cross-sectional view taken along line 4-4 of Figure 3 when assembling the foam pump and with the pump in the deactivated position; Figure 5 is a view similar to Figure 4 but showing the pump in the activated position to eject foam from the spout; Figure 5b is a detailed view of the portion 5b of Figure 5; Figure 6 is a sectional view along line 6-6 of Figure 1; Figure 7 is a sectional view, similar to Figure 6, but segmented and showing the pump in the depressed position; and Figure 8 is a perspective, segmented view of a portion of the dispenser housing containing the foam pump.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION Referring first to Figure 1, a liquid spout containing a spout constructed in accordance with the present invention is generally shown at 10. The spout 10 includes a housing 12 housing an upper spout compartment 14 of liquid and a compartment lower 16 that houses a pump that produces foam that is described later. A lever or button 18 that is activated manually is pivotally coupled to the lower compartment 16. An opening 20 is located on the side of the housing 12 to allow access to a securing mechanism that secures the generally rectangular housing to a back plate ( not shown) that is secured to a support surface such as a wall. A window 28 is provided on the front of the housing 12 to see the liquid level in the liquid container. The spout 10 is designed to releasably receive therein a liquid container generally shown at 30 in Figure 2 comprising a liquid storage compartment 32 and a liquid or throat outlet 34. Coupled in the throat 34 of the container 30 is find a foam pump shown at 36. The container 30 is a flexible plastic container for containing liquids such as soap and the like and which is collapsible. The container 30 is formed on the sides 38 thereof, so that as the liquid drains, the container is folded along the pleats 39 to form a beam section I. A window 28 is provided on the front of the housing 12, as best seen in Figure 1, to see the liquid level in the liquid container 30 when the latter is assembled with the housing. The scanned view of Figure 3 illustrates the components from which the foam pump 36 is constructed and Figures 4 and 5 illustrate the assembled skimmer in the two extreme positions. Foam pump 36 includes a cup-shaped housing member 40 having an upper portion 42 with an opening or inlet of fluid 44 located centrally therein. The housing 40 includes a shoulder 46 against which the edge of the throat 34 of the container 30 (shown in dotted line) abuts when the pump 36 is assembled with the container 30. The opening 44 forms a fluid inlet for the pump inlet of the liquid 36 from the compartment 32 that will be described later. A cylindrical tube 48 (visible only in Figures 4 and 5) is attached to the upper portion 42 inside the housing member 40 and houses a passage 50 in flow communication with the interior of the bottle 32. The foam pump 36 is provided with an inlet valve 52 comprising a valve rod 54 and a valve head 56. The rod 54 is in the form of a tuning fork with two separate arms 58 that hang from the head 56 and define a groove. 60 among them. The end portions of the arms 58 spaced apart from the valve head 56 are provided with shoulders 62. When assembled, as seen in Figures 4 and 5, the inlet valve 52 is located in the opening 44 and is retained in the same by the shoulders 62 and the valve head 56 extending laterally beyond the edge of the opening. The foam pump 36 includes a piston 66 provided with a cylindrical outer tube and a piston head 72 coupled to one end of the outer tube 68 and the other end of the shaft is provided with an O-shaped ring 74 supported in a groove of O-ring. The air inlet and outlet holes 76 are shown arranged around the outer tube 68 separated from the piston head 72. The piston head 72 is provided with an O-ring groove and a ring. O-shaped 68 is located in the groove extending circumferentially around the piston head 72. The outer tube 68 is provided with external cutting sections 80 extending from the holes 76 towards the piston head 72. The pump 36 includes a wire loop, grid or mesh 84. The 84 mesh can be made of plastic, wire or cloth material. The 84 mesh produces turbulence in the air-liquid mixture to aid in the production of foam. The inner structure 66 will now be described with specific reference to Figures 4 and 5. The piston 66 includes an inner cylindrical tube 69 which is concentric, and integrally formed with the outer tube 68 at the upper ends 68 and 69 facing the valve 52 in the inner compartment of the bottle 30. The inner tube 69 defines a passage 70 through a piston 66. The outer and inner tubes 68 and 69 respectively define a mixing chamber 77 between the tubes. An upper U-shaped valve 71 engages the free end of the inner tube 69 located in the piston head 72 and the valve 71 controls the flow of passage liquid 70 to the mixing chamber 77. The upper-form valve 71 It is made of a flexible rubber or plastic that has a desired elasticity, so that 1 it expands under liquid pressure to allow liquid to flow around the edge 73 as the cylinder 86 is pushed up into the cylinder 40. With reference to Figures 3, 4 and 5, the pump 36 further includes a hollow cylinder 86 cylindrically formed having an open end with a shoulder 88 separated from the open upper end of the cylinder. The cylinder 86 includes a second member 90 cylindrically formed with a longer diameter to the cylinder 86 and concentric therein and extending upwardly from the shoulder 88. The cylindrical member 90 is provided with a bevelled upper end portion 92 defining a circumferential groove. 93. A flexible, cylindrical seal 94 includes a horizontal section 95 and a section 97 that extend vertically from the inner edge of the section 95 and a section 99 angled upward and outward from the outer edge of the section 95. The section 97 extending vertically upwardly fits in the circumferential groove 93 when the seal flexible 94 is assembled with the cylinder 86. With reference again specifically to Figures 4 and 5, a circumferential rib 96 extends around the lower end of the cylinder 96 and an outlet 98 is formed integrally with the cylinder 86. The outlet 98 defines a passage 101 that communicates with passage 70 and includes a notched network 106 that contains an outer diameter small enough to be received within the piston head 72 and large enough to support the 84 mesh. When assembled the pump 36, the mesh 84 is received inside the piston head 72 and the piston 66 is inserted into the cylinder 86 with the mesh 84 supported in the net 106. The upper cover valve 71 is pushed partly into the end portion of the outer cylinder 69 with the mesh 84 located between the end of the valve 71 and the net 106. The notched portion of the net 106 comprises grooves 107 to allow the exit of foam through the outlet passage 101, see Figures 4 and 5b. The cylinder 86 is received within the cup-shaped cylindrical housing 40 and the outer diameter of the flexible seal 94 is selected to ensure a frictional fit but which allows the cylinder 86 to be telescopically adjusted with respect to the cylindrical housing 40. the presence of the flexible seal 94 is very advantageous because it provides a better seal that allows the superior pressurization of the air chamber than is achieved with similar structures absent in the seal. The tube 68 is received within the tube 48 and an O-shaped ring 110 supported in the O-shaped ring groove 74 provides a seal between the outer surface of the tube 68 and the inner wall of the tube 48. The protective cap 100 (Figure 3) is inserted into the cup-shaped member 40 where the cylindrical section 102 is of the same diameter as the skirt 94, so that it is received inside the cup-shaped housing 40 and is retained therein by a cup. Adjustment by friction. The outer diameter of the cup-shaped housing 40 and the throat inner diameter 34 of the liquid container 30 are selected so that the housing 40 can be inserted into the throat with a tight fit with the throat edge resting against the throat. shoulder 46, see figure 4. Cup-shaped housing 40 then welds container 30 to permanently adjust it thereto. Cylinder 86 and cup-like housing 40, when assembled, define an air chamber 104 separated from both passages 50 in tube 48 and passage 70 through piston 66 and inside of liquid storage compartment 32 of the container 30. In this way, the air used to mix with the liquid to form the foam is imported from the outside of the container. The inner diameter of the housing 40 and the outer diameter of the flexible seal 94 are selected to produce a substantially tight air connection so that the air chamber 104 can be pressurized by pushing the piston 66 into the tube 48 in the housing 40. The upper O-ring 110 is sealed against leakage of liquid in the air chamber 104, while the lower O-shaped ring 78 is sealed against leakage of air out or back into the air chamber 104. The combination of the assembled container 30 and the foam pump 36 can be used only in a manner such as which is described below or alternatively may be used in conjunction with the spout housing 12. Figure 6 illustrates a cross-sectional view of the housing 12 incorporating the assembled container 30 and pump 36. With reference to Figures 6 to 8, the lower compartment 16 of the housing 12 is defined by side walls 120 and a front wall 122 supporting a generally rectangular opening 124 located therein. The button 18 is pivotally connected to the side walls 120 in the position 126 and can be rotated about said pivotal connection. The trajectory of said rotational movement is best observed by comparing the positions of the button in figures 6 and 7 so that in the button former 18 it extends fully and in figure 7 it is completely pressed. The spout housing 12 includes a securing mechanism to liberally hold the collapsible bottle 30 to the pump 36 in place. The securing mechanism comprises a pair of arms 130 slidably movable in channels 132 formed inside the button 18 at the edges thereof. The other ends of the arms 130 are received in the grooves 134 located in the sleeves 136 that fit in the upper end of the posts 138. The posts 138 pass through the holes located in a fork-shaped support bracket 140. rigidly coupled to the rear wall 142 of the housing. Extending around the inner edge of the circular outer cut in the bracket 140 is a slot 144. The other end of the posts 138 opposite the ends containing the sleeves 136 is rigidly coupled to a fork-shaped platform 146 containing a central exterior cut 147 and a shoulder 148 that protrudes inward. Each post 138 is provided with a spring 150 between the bracket 140 of the platform 146 to move the platform away from the bracket 140. When the button 18 is pressed, it pivots about the pivot point 126, thereby rotating the arms 130. , so that the ends of the arms in the sleeves 136 move upwards to pull the posts 138 and the platform 146 upwards against the springs 150. The release button 18 causes the platform 146 to return to the lower position of the action of the springs 150. As the button 18 moves, the arms 130 slide into the channels 132, comparing FIGS. 6 and 7. The platform 146 is provided with a pair of opposing lugs 160, each spring deviating inwardly in the shoulders 148 by the springs 162. The lugs 160 travel in the slots 164. To insert the assembled container 30 and the pump 36 into the housing 12, a key (not shown) is inserted in the opening 20 (figure 1) for coupling a m securing mechanism 22 (Fig. 6) and when released, hook 24 is disengaged from retainer 26 and the front portion of the housing is pivoted down from rear wall 120. With reference to Fig. 8, container 30 and pump of foam 36 are then inserted into the housing 12 with the cylinder 88 pushed towards the section 40 and the rib 46 is releasably held in the slot 144. The button 18 is then pushed inwardly so that the platform 146 is raised and when the The convex internal surface of the lugs 160 is engaged by the rib 96, thus pushing them outwardly against the springs 162. When the platform 146 has been raised sufficiently, the lugs 160 fit into the upper edge of the rib 96, ensuring in this way the conical member 88 with the platform 146. When the container 30 and the foam pump 36 are assembled with the spout housing 12 and the button 18 moves as described above, the cylinder 86 moves in and out of the cup-shaped member 40 to create a pumping section.

In the operation, to supply the liquid foam from the container 30, a user places his hand to receive the foam under the housing 12 adjacent to the outlet 98 and with the other hand presses the button 18, see figure 6. With reference now to figure 4, with the cylinder 86 in the lowest position, the inlet valve 52 is in the open position, so that the liquid flows in the passageway 50 through the slot 60 and the opening 44 in the direction of the arrows. Arrows in passages 50 and 70 show the flow path of the liquid from chamber 32. Liquid soap fills passage 50 in tube 48 and passage 70 in piston 66. When pressurizing the fluid chamber, the liquid in the passages 50 and 70 are pressurized as the cylinder 86 is pushed up into the housing 40, where the inlet valve 52 is pushed upward thereby closing the fluid inlet 44. As the liquid is pressurized in the passages 50 and 70, the liquid is ejected around the upper edge 73 in the upper U-shaped valve 71 inserted in the end portion of the tube 79 and in the mixing chamber 77. The air chamber 104 is pressurized simultaneously as the volume, so that the air is forced (in the direction of the arrows shown) directly through the holes 76 in the tube 68, as shown in figure 4 when the holes 76 are not sealed inside the tube 48. With reference aa Figure 5, once the piston 66 has been pushed sufficiently into the tube 48, so that the holes 76 in the tube 68 are covered, the air enters the air chamber 77 between the tubes 68 and 69 to the force the space 80 between the tubes 40 and 68 and through the holes 76. The pressurized liquid soap expelled from the passage 70 is mixed with the pressurized air in the mixing chamber 77 just above the 84 mesh and the mixture is forced to through the 84 mesh to produce foam. The foam is expelled through the slot 107 in the notched network 106 in the passage 101 towards the user's hand. As the cylinder 86 is pushed into the housing 40, the inlet valve 52 is pulled down, thereby opening the inlet 44 and the liquid is ejected into the chamber 50 from the container 30. The button 18 repeats the production step of foam described above. The properties of the foam and the ratio of liquid to air can be controlled by the screen or grid 84 and the relative volumes of the air chambers and the fluid chambers. It has been found that a foam with an air to liquid ratio of 20: 1 is very useful when liquid hand soap is being supplied. When the cylinder 86 is pushed from the member 40 by the springs 150, the air is sucked into the air chamber 104 upon expelling it through the outlet 98 and again through the mesh 24 through the holes 76 and into the air chamber 104. The residual foam remaining in the mesh 84 or exit passage 98 is then sucked back into the air chamber 104, so that the foam pump is automatically cleaned. One advantage of the holes 76 positioned away from the upper U-shaped valve 71 is that after the air has been placed in the chamber 104 after supply to clean the outlet, the condensed liquid out of the residual foam placed in the Chamber 104 can accumulate in the lower part of the air chamber 104 above the piston head 72 without leaking from the outlet of the spout. There is no leakage until the level of the liquid increases above the holes 76 in the air chamber 104. The foam pump 36 is advantageous in the prior art skimmers because the same amount of pressure is required for operate the pump and to produce the pump despite the amount of liquid in the container. In addition, in general, less work is required, since the liquid is not being forced into a tube or forced through a thick porous plug. Similarly, the shape of the container is not restricted in its form, due to the need to tighten it by hand as with several of the skimmers of the prior art. Another advantage of the skimmer of the present invention is that the liquid is held in a relatively tight air jet without mixing with air until it is ejected from the fluid chamber. In this way, the long-term oxidation of the ingredients that make up the liquid is reduced. Each time a container is replaced, a new foam pump is provided with the container. The above is advantageous, since it avoids the prolonged use of the same pump since problems such as the clogging of the passages are prevented. A further advantage of the foaming device described herein is that the need for thick, rigid, porous plugs to generate foam, such as those found in several prior art devices, is avoided. The mesh or screen 84 illustrated is sufficient to generate foam of adequate quality. It will be appreciated that the container 30 and the foam pump 36, being made of plastic, can be easily recycled after the contents of the container 30 have been consumed. The combination of the full collapsible container 30 and the foam pump 36 coupled thereto (Figure 2) is preferably sold as a single unit (with lid 100) as a load replacement for use with the dispenser housing 12 in applications that they require fixed locations for the dispenser such as bathrooms, other sanitary stations and the like. Alternatively, it will be appreciated that the combination of the contents 30 and the foam pump 36 can be used in applications where the user carries the device and the manual pumping foam of the device. The above is possible because the combination of the tight air connection of the pump 36 with the collapsible bottle 30 allows the foam to be dispensed with the bottle in any orientation, although several of the prior art designs only work with the bottle in the straight position. Such a feature is very advantageous in, for example, hospitals where patients must bathe in bed. In such applications, the container 30 is held with one hand and the cylinder 86 is pumped with the other to supply the foam. For such applications, the cylinder 86 can be locked with the cup-shaped housing 40 by the provision of an embossing and groove wherein an embossing projecting out of the cylinder side 86 into a groove located on the inner surface of the cylinder member. cup 40. The slot can have two turns, so that the cylinder 86 can not be pulled out of the housing 40 without rotation. The foaming device described herein has industrial utility in various areas including but not limited to personal hygiene in industrial and hospital environments. The above description of the preferred embodiments of the invention has been presented in order to illustrate the principles of the invention and not to limit the invention to the particular embodiment illustrated. It is intended that the scope of the invention be defined by all modalities comprised within the following claims and their equivalents.

Claims (15)

NOVELTY OF THE INVENTION CLAIMS

1. - A device 10 for producing and dispensing foam, comprising: a) a collapsible container 30 having an interior 32 and a throat 34; and b) pump means 36 coupled to said container 30, pump means 36 including a first housing member 40 sealed in said throat 36 with a tight air seal, a second housing member 86 and a flexible seal member 94 coupled to said second housing member 86, the second housing member 86 engaging said first housing member 40 and being movable telescopically therein, the first housing member 40 of the second housing member 86 cooperating to define an air chamber 104 and a flow passage 50, 70, of the flexible seal member 94, providing an air seal between the first and second housing members 40 and 86, the flow passage 50, 70, being in flow communication with said interior 32 , and the air chamber 104 is in communication with the mixing chamber 77, including a fluid inlet valve 52 for admitting the liquid in said flow passage 50, 70 from the inside 32 and a fluid outlet valve 71 in the flow passage 50, 70 to flow the liquid from said flow passage 50, 70 into the mixing chamber 77, including an exit passage 101 communicating with the chamber of mixing 77, and a porous member located in said mixing chamber 77 downstream of said fluid outlet valve 71 to generate turbulence in the mixed air and liquid passing therethrough, wherein the movement of the second fluid housing 86 in the first housing member 40 reduces the volume of the air chamber 104 and the volume of the flow passage 50, 70 and pressurizes the air in the air chamber 104 and the liquid in the flow passage 50, 70 and force to the air and liquid mixed through the porous member 84 to form a foam expelled through the outlet passage 101.

2. The device according to claim 1, further characterized in that the first housing member is provides with a tube defining a first portion of said flow passage extending from said flow inlet, the second housing member having a distal end portion at the proximal end portion, said flexible seal engaging about said proximal end portion and leaning against an interior surface of said first housing member.

3. The device according to claim 2, further characterized in that said outlet passage is located in said distal end portion and wherein said second housing member includes at least one piston comprising a piston head and a piston tube. external coupling to said piston head at a proximal end of said external piston tube, said piston defining a second portion of said flow passage extending therethrough, and wherein a distal end of said external piston tube is inserted in said piston. said tube for a reciprocal movement therein.

4. The device according to claim 3, further characterized in that said piston includes an internal piston tube concentric with the external piston tube, a distal end of said internal piston tube being coupled to the distal end of said piston tube. external, said internal piston tube defining said second portion of said flow passage through said piston, said internal and external piston tubes defining said mixing chamber between them, and wherein said external piston tube includes an opening for the communication of said mixing chamber with said air chamber, and wherein said outlet valve is connected to a proximal end of said internal piston tube.

5. The device according to claim 4, further characterized in that the fluid outlet valve is a flexible upper U-shaped valve., and when the flow passage is pressurized sufficiently, the liquid inlet valve closes and the upper U-shaped valve is opened by pushing the liquid through said upper U-shaped valve in said mixing chamber to mix with the air and to expel through the porous member and the exit passage.

6. The device according to claim 5, further characterized in that said distal end portion of the second housing member includes a network defining said exit passage, and wherein said porous member is a disk of gauze placed between said head of piston and said network.

7. The device according to claim 4, further characterized in that said opening is at least a separate opening of the distal end of said external piston tube, said external tube including slots extending from each opening to said proximal end of said outer tube defining an air flow path in said mixing chamber when said piston is inserted in said tube so that the tube covers at least one opening.

8. The device according to claim 4, further characterized in that said second housing is provided with a shoulder separated from said proximal end portion thereof, and wherein the flexible seal engages said shoulder.

9. The device according to claim 8, further characterized in that said first and second housing members are cylindrically formed and said shoulder is a circumferential shoulder, and wherein said flexible seal is a cylindrically shaped seal formed in a U-shape with a internal vertical wall that fits into a groove located in said circumferential shoulder.

10. The device according to claim 5, further characterized in that the inlet valve includes a valve rod coupled to a valve seat, the valve rod being located at the fluid inlet and protruding inside the container, the valve seat being located in the first portion of the flow passage and wherein the housing of the second housing member of the first housing member reduces the pressure in the flow passage thereby placing the inlet valve in the open position and pumping the liquid from the container in the flow passage, and wherein the movement of the second housing member towards the first housing member pressurizes the flow passage, thus forcing the inlet valve inward, so that the valve seat seals the fluid inlet.

11. The device according to claim 5, including a dispenser housing, the container coupled with the foam pump means being releasably insertable into said dispensing housing, further characterized in that the first housing member includes a first circumferential lip, the second housing member including a circumferential lip, the spout housing including a first coupling mechanism for releasably fastening said circumferential lip, the spout housing including a second coupling means for releasably fastening said circumferential lip.

12. The device according to claim 11, further characterized in that the dispenser housing includes at least one pumping mechanism connected to the second coupling member wherein the activation of the pumping mechanism causes the second housing member to undergo reciprocal movement with respect to said first housing member.

13. The device according to claim 12, further characterized in that said pumping mechanism includes at least one lever, the second housing member being connected to the lever, so that the movement of the lever moves the second member with respect to to the first member.

14. The device according to claim 13, further characterized in that the pumping mechanism includes a diverting means for moving the second housing member away from the first housing member.

15. The device according to claim 13, further characterized in that said pumping mechanism includes a button pivotally coupled to the housing and coupled to said lever, said housing including diverting means to move away the second member of said first member, where the pressure of the button causes the second member to move towards the first member, and upon releasing the button, said diverting means moves said second member away from the first member.