GB2540119A - Liquid dispenser - Google Patents

Abstract

A liquid dispenser comprises a pair of containers 10A, 10B, each containing a fluid to be dispensed (for example a reagent of a two-part sanitising or disinfecting liquid), with containers 10A, 10B identical in construction and each having opposite end walls (11, Figure 2) and at least three side walls (12, Figure 1) positioned around a container axis with two substantially identical adjacent side walls; suitably the containers may have square cross-section. A radially offset outlet 13 is formed in the front end wall adjacent a corner between the identical adjacent side walls. Containers 10A, 10B are fixed or mounted side-by-side at respective different rotational positions about the container axis, preferably by 90 degrees, such that respective identical side walls are in face-to-face registration and outlets 13 are adjacent. Typically, each outlet 13 has a pump dispenser 14A, 14B is fitted to each outlet 13 allowing liquid in each container 10A, 10B to be dispensed simultaneously onto a user's hands. Tooling and manufacturing costs may be reduced by the identical construction of containers 10A, 10B.

Description

LIQUID DISPENSER

This invention relates to a dispenser for dispensing liquids, such as sanitising and disinfecting liquids.

Two-part liquid formulations are known which comprise two reagents which form an effective product when mixed. It can be desirable to store the reagents separately because a) the formulation would be unstable and have a shorter shelf life, (b) the two reagents are required to react at the exact time of use for efficacy reasons, such as certain disinfectant formulations, (c) visual or aesthetic effects or any other reason to have two liquids separate until the point of dispensing. Accordingly, such liquids are mixed just prior to, or at point of use. It will be appreciated that there is thus the need for a dispenser, which can contain the liquids separately and which can allow the simultaneous delivery of the correct volume of both liquids.

One such hand dispenser is disclosed in US2014239094 and comprises two identical containers mounted mounted side-by-side and connected to a device body including a handle, a trigger, a first solution passage configured to draw a first liquid from the first container when the first container is pressurised, a second solution passage configured to draw a second liquid from a second container when the second container is pressurised, a valve core coupled with an adjustment knob, an output solution passage configured to carry an output solution, and a nozzle assembly coupled with the output solution passage. The valve core is configured to adjust a ratio of the first liquid and the second liquid based on a position of the adjustment knob. Actuation of the trigger causes dispensing of the mixed liquids. A disadvantage of the above-mentioned dispenser is that it is complicated and costly in construction.

We have now devised a liquid dispenser which is simple and inexpensive in construction.

In accordance with the present invention there is provided a liquid dispenser comprising a pair of containers for containing respective fluids to be dispensed, the containers being identical in construction and each container having opposite end walls and at least three side walls positioned around a container axis, two adjacent sides walls being substantially identical, a radially offset outlet formed in a said end wall at a position adjacent a corner between said identical adjacent side walls, the containers being mounted together side-by-side at respective different rotational positions about said container axis such that respective ones of their identical side walls are in face-to-face registration and the outlets are adjacent.

The adjacency of the outlets of the two containers means that both liquids can be dispensed simultaneously onto the user’s hands. The containers are identical in construction and thus tooling and manufacturing costs are substantially reduced.

Preferably a pump dispenser extends from each said outlet. In use, both pump dispensers can be actuated single-handedly by a user to dispense both liquids simultaneously onto the user’s hands. Also, since pump dispensers are widely available, there is no need to provide a complex and costly bespoke dispensing arrangement.

The pump dispensers are preferably connected to a single actuator member, which can be depressed to simultaneously actuate both pump dispensers.

The pump dispensers may comprise respective liquid outlets which are interconnected by a manifold which mixes the liquids just prior to use and dispenses them as a single flow onto the user’s hands. Alternatively, the liquids may be dispensed as respective flows onto the user’s hands where they can be mixed at the point of use.

Preferably the adjacent side walls are flat.

Preferably the containers comprise four side walls and are preferably square in cross-section.

Preferably the rotational position of the containers are offset from each other by 90 degrees.

Preferably the outlet comprises an elongate tubular neck.

Preferably the containers are fixed together, for example by welding or bonding or by applying a shrink-wrap around both containers. An advantage of the latter arrangement is that the shrink-wrap can carry product information and branding.

Preferably means are provided for mounting the containers to a wall or other vertical surface.

Preferably the mounting means is arranged to mount the containers in a position where the pump dispensers extend horizontally and forwardly.

Preferably the mounting means comprises a basket or other receptacle in which the containers are seated.

An embodiment of the present invention will now be described by way of an example only and with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which:

Figure 1 is the front view of a container of a liquid dispenser in accordance with the present invention;

Figure 2 is a side view of the container of Figure 1 in the direction of the arrow 2;

Figure 3 is a perspective view from the front and below of a liquid dispenser in accordance with the present invention including a pair of the containers of Figure 1.

Referring to Figures 1 and 2 of the drawings, there is shown a one-piece container 10 formed of moulded plastics material comprising a square front end wall 11 and four identical side walls 12 which extend rearwardly from respective side edges of the front end wall 11 to respective side edges of a square bottom end wall (not shown). The distance between the front and rear end walls can be varied to suit the desired volume of the container 10.

An elongate tubular outlet neck 13 extends forwardly from the front end wall 11 at a point adjacent one corner thereof. The distal end of the neck 13 comprises an external screw thread or a lip.

Referring to Figure 3 of the drawings, a pair of containers 10a, 10b of the type shown in Figures 1 and 2 are mounted side-by-side with their respective side walls 12 in face-to-face registration and with their necks 13 facing forwardly. The left hand container 10a is rotationally positioned such that its neck 13 is positioned at its top right corner, whereas the right hand container 10b is positioned such that its neck 13 is positioned at its top left corner. It will be appreciated that the necks 13 thus extend forwardly and in close proximity to each other.

The pair of containers 10a, 10b are held together side-by-side by a plastics shrinkwrap sleeve 18 which extends around both containers. The sleeve may carry product information and branding. A pair of conventional pump dispensers 14a, 14b are engaged with the respective distal ends of the necks 13 of the respective containers 10a, 10b. Each pump dispenser e.g. 14a comprises a forwardly extending tube 15, which when pushed rearwardly against a spring bias causes liquid within the container e.g. 10a to be pumped along the tube 15. An actuator member 16 is fitted to the distal ends of both tubes 15 by inserting the tubes 15 into respective sockets (not shown) in the rear face thereof. The actuator 16 also comprises internal channels (not shown) which communicate with the interior of the sockets and which extend downwardly to the bottom edge of the actuator 16. The channels may interconnect at a single outlet (not shown) on the bottom edge of the actuator 16 or they may connect to respective outlet apertures. The containers 10a, 10b are mounted in a plastics-coated wire basket 17, which can be fixed to a vertical wall surface. In use, a user simply has to push the actuator 16 inwardly to cause equal volumes of liquids to be dispensed simultaneously from respective containers 10a, 10b. A liquid dispenser in accordance with the present invention is simple and inexpensive in construction yet enables liquids to be stored separately and dispensed simultaneously.

Claims (16)

1. A liquid dispenser comprising a pair of containers for containing respective fluids to be dispensed, the containers being identical in construction and each container having opposite end walls and at least three side walls positioned around a container axis, two adjacent sides walls being substantially identical, a radially offset outlet formed in a said end wall at a position adjacent a comer between said identical adjacent side walls, the containers being mounted together side-by-side at respective different rotational positions about said container axis such that respective ones of their identical side walls are in face-to-face registration and the outlets are adjacent.

2. A liquid dispenser as claimed in claim 1, in which a pump dispenser for dispensing respective liquids extends from each said outlet.

3. A liquid dispenser as claimed in claim 2, in which the pump dispensers are connected to a single actuator member, which can be depressed to simultaneously actuate both pump dispensers.

4. A liquid dispenser as claimed in claim 3, in which the pump dispensers comprise respective liquid outlets which are interconnected by a manifold arranged to mix the liquids just prior to use and to dispense them as a single flow onto a user’s hands.

5. A liquid dispenser as claimed in any preceding claim, in which the adjacent side walls are flat.

6. A liquid dispenser as claimed in any preceding claim, in which the containers comprise four side wails.

7. A liquid dispenser as claimed in any claim 6, in which the containers are square in cross-section.

8.

9. A liquid dispenser as claimed in any preceding claim, in which the rotational position of the containers are offset from each other by 90 degrees.

10. A liquid dispenser as claimed in any preceding claim, in which the outlet comprises an elongate tubular neck.

11. A liquid dispenser as claimed in any preceding claim, in which the containers are fixed together.

12. A liquid dispenser as claimed in claim 11, in which the containers are fixed together by a shrink-wrap applied around both containers. , for example by welding or bonding or by applying a shrink-wrap around both containers.

13. A liquid dispenser as claimed in any preceding claim, in which means are provided for mounting the containers to a wall or other vertical surface.

14. A liquid dispenser as claimed in claim 13, in which the mounting means is arranged to mount the containers in

15. A liquid dispenser as claimed in claim 13 or 14, in which the mounting means comprises a basket or other receptacle in which the containers are seated.

16. A liquid dispenser substantially as herein described with reference to the accompanying drawings.