Piston-powered dispensing system

Claim 2

A piston-powered dispensing system char­acterized by an apertured base (22, 222); a hollow cylinder (24A, 224A) defining a longitudinal axis, the cylinder carrying the base at one end portion thereof and further defining a hollow neck (42A, 242A) at the opposite end portion thereof; an apertured piston (22, 225) defining a circumferential portion that is slidably engageable with the hollow cylinder (24A, 224A) substantially along the length of an inner surface thereof and disposed in the cylinder for divid­ing the cylinder into at least two chambers; (46A, 246A, 48A, 248A); an orificed overcap (28A, 228A), carried by the cylinder and rotatable about the longitudinal axis relative thereto, the overcap de­fining a throat (62A, 262A) that is slidably engageable with an inner surface portion of the cylinder neck (42A, 242A), rotation of one of the overcap and cylinde-­relative to the other about the longitudinal axis thereby providing movement of the throat relative to the cylinder neck along the longitudinal axis, the throat carrying means for providing fluid communication between one of the two cylinder chambers and a fluid-mixing region; an elongated fluid passageway means (30A, 230A) carried by the overcap and disposed through the piston aperture in a fluid-tight manner; first valve means (34, 234) carried by the base; second valve means (36A, 236A) carried by the fluid passageway means and abut­tingly engaging the first valve means; and third valve means (38A, 238A) provided by movement along the longitudinal axis of the throat relative to the cylinder neck.

Claim 3

A piston-powdered dispensing system char­acterized by an apertured base (22) defining an apertured sleeve (40); a hollow, elongated cylinder (24A) carrying the base at one end portion thereof and defining a hollow neck (42A) at the opposite end por­tion thereof; an apertured piston (25) defining a cir­cumferential portion that is slidably engageable with the hollow cylinder (24A) substantially along the length of the inner surface thereof and disposed in the cylinder for dividing the cylinder into at least two chambers 46A, 48A); an orificed overcap (28A) defining an apertured throat (62A) wherein the overcap throat is slid­ably engageable with the inner surface portion of the cylinder neck (42A) whereby the throat aperture of the overcap throat provides fluid communication between one of the two cylinder chambers (46A) and a fluid-­mixing region (R) spaced from the dispensing system; an elongated fluid passageway means (30A) disposed through the piston aperture in a fluid-tight manner, wherein the fluid passageway means provides fluid communication between a pressurized-fluid source and the fluid-mixing region (R) via at least one orifice (68) of the overcap (28A); an apertured, hollow extension (32A) in fluid communication with the one overcap orifice (68) via the fluid passageway means (30A) and slidably engageable with an inner surface portion of the sleeve (40) of the base, at least one aperture (72) of the hollow extension (32A) being alignable with an aperture (74) of the sleeve (40) when the extension is disposed inthe sleeve; first valve means (34) carried by the base (22) for controllably affecting flow of a pressurized fluid from the pressurized-fluid source to the fluid passageway means (30A); second valve means (36A) provided by movement of the extension aperture (72) relative to the sleeve aperture (74) for controllably affecting flow of the pressurized fluid between the fluid passageway means (30A) and the other of the two cylinder chambers (48A); and third valve means (38A) provided by movement of the overcap throat aperture relative to the inner surface of the cylinder neck (42A) for controllably affecting flow between the one cylinder chamber (46A) and the fluid-­mixing region(R).

Claim 4

A piston-powdered dispensing system char­acterized by an apertured base (22) defining an apertured sleeve (40); a hollow, elongated cylinder (24A) carrying the base at one end portion thereof and defining a hollow neck (42A) at the opposite end por­tion thereof; an apertured piston (25) defining a cir­cumferential portion that is slidably engageable with the hollow cylinder (24A) substantially along the length of the inner surface thereof and disposed in the cylinder for dividing the cylinder into at least two chambers 46A, 48A); an orificed overcap (28A) defining an apertured throat (62A) wherein the overcap throat is slid­ably engageable with the inner surface portion of the cylinder neck (42A) whereby the throat aperture of the overcap throat provides fluid communication between one of the two cylinder chambers (46A) and a fluid-­mixing region (R) spaced from the dispensing system; an elongated fluid passageway means (30A) disposed through the piston aperture in a fluid-tight manner, wherein the fluid passageway means provides fluid communication between a pressurized-fluid source and the fluid-mixing region (R) via at least one orifice (68) of the overcap (28A); an apertured, hollow extension (32A) in fluid communication with the one overcap orifice (68) via the fluid passageway means (30A) and slidably engageable with an inner surface portion of the sleeve (40) of the base, at least one aperture (72) of the hollow extension (32A) being alignable with an aperture (74) of the sleeve (40) when the extension is disposed inthe sleeve; first valve means (34) carried by the base (22) for controllably affecting flow of a pressurized fluid from the pressurized-fluid source to the fluid passageway means (30A); second valve means (36A) provided by movement of the extension aperture (72) relative to the sleeve aperture (74) for controllably affecting flow of the pressurized fluid between the fluid passageway means (30A) and the other of the two cylinder chambers (48A); and third valve means (38A) provided by movement of the overcap throat aperture relative to the inner surface of the cylinder neck (42A) for controllably affecting flow between the one cylinder chamber (46A) and the fluid-­mixing region(R).

Claim 5

The system of claim 2, characterized in that the orificed overcap (28A) is circumferentially carried by the cylinder (24A).

Claim 6

The system of claim 2 or 3, characterized in that the overcap (28B, 28D) and the cylinder (24B, 24C) together define engageable leveraging means for causing one of the overcap and cylinder to be displaced axially relative to the other when said one of the overcap and cylinder is rotated thereabout relative to said other.

Claim 7

The system according to claim 4, character­ized in that the overcap (28D) defines a cup-shaped receptacle, wherein the cup-shaped receptacle portion of the overcap is substantially circular in transverse cross section and is to dimensioned as to overlie an end portion of the cylinder (24C) and wherein the lev­eraging means comprises the cup-shaped receptacle por­tion of the overcap; and cup-action means defined by respective engaging portions of the receptacle and the exterior surface of the cylinder (24C).

Claim 8

The system according to claim 4, char­acterized in that the overcap (28B) defines a cup-­shaped receptacle, wherein the cup-shaped receptacle portion of the overcap is substantially circular in transverse cross section and is so dimensioned as to overlie an end portion of the cylinder (24B), and wherein the leveraging means comprises the cup-shaped receptacle portion of the overcap and mated, inter­meshing screw threads defined by mated, respective engaging portions of the receptacle and the exterior surface of the cylinder.

Claim 9

The system according to claim 4, char­acterized in that the overcap (28A) further defines a collar (78A) the overcap collar is so configured as to surround the overcap throat (62A) and be concentric therewith, wherein the overcap collar is so spaced from the overcap throat as to engage the cylinder neck (42A) when the cylinder neck is disposed between the overcap collar and throat, and wherein the leveraging means comprises the collar portion (78A) of the over­cap; and mated, intermeshing screw threads defined by mated, respective engaging portions of the overcap collar (78A) and the exterior surface of the cylinder neck (42A).

Claim 11

A piston-powdered dispensing system char­acterized by an apertured base (222); a hollow, elongated cylinder (224A) defining a longitudinal axis and car­rying the base at one end portion thereof and further defining a hollow neck (242A) at the opposite end por­tion thereof; an apertured piston (225) disposed in the cylinder for dividing the cylinder into at least two chambers (246A, 248A) and defining a circumferential portion that is slidably engageable with the hollow cylinder substantially along the length of an inner surface thereof; a hollow, orificed overcap (228A) carried by the cylinder and rotatable about the long­itudinal axis relative thereto, defining an internal, fluid-mixing region and a throat (262A) that is in fluid communication with said region, the throat being slidably engageable with an inner surface portion of the cylinder neck; an elongated fluid passageway means (230A) disposed through the piston aperture in a fluid-­tight manner; an externally-channeled, hollow exten­sion (232) slidably engageable with the inner surface portion of the cylinder neck and carried by the over­cap throat, the hollow extension carrying the fluid passageway means (230) and providing fluid communica­tion between the fluid passageway means and the fluid-­mixing region, at least one external channel (270) of the hollow extension being able to provide fluid communication between one of the two cylinder chambers (246A) and the fluid-mixing region, whereby rotation of one of the cylinder and overcap relative to the other about the longitudinal axis causes relative movement as between the hollow extension and the cyl­inder neck along the longitudinal axis; first valve means (234) carried by the base; second valve means (236A) carried by the fluid passageway means and abut­tingly engaging the first valve means; and third valve means (238A) provided by the relative movement as between the hollow extension (232) and the cylinder neck (242A) along the longitudinal axis, for controll­ably affecting flow between said one of the two cylinder chambers (246A) and the fluid-mixing region, said relative movement as between the hollow extension and the cylinder neck along the longitudinal axis also causing the first (234) and second valve means (236A) to co-act in such a manner as to controllably affect flow of a pressurized fluid from a pressurized-fluid source to the fluid passageway means and to an other of the two cylinder chambers (248A), the fluid passage­way means (230A) thereby providing fluid communica­tion between the pressurized-fluid source and the fluid-mixing region.

Claim 12

A piston-powdered dispensing system char­acterized by an apertured base (222); a hollow, elongated cylinder (224A) defining a longitudinal axis and car­rying the base at one end portion thereof and further defining a hollow neck (242A) at the opposite end por­tion thereof; an apertured piston (225) disposed in the cylinder for dividing the cylinder into at least two chambers (246A, 248A) and defining a circumferential portion that is slidably engageable with the hollow cylinder substantially along the length of an inner surface thereof; a hollow, orificed overcap (228A) carried by the cylinder and rotatable about the long­itudinal axis relative thereto, defining an internal, fluid-mixing region and a throat (262A) that is in fluid communication with said region, the throat being slidably engageable with an inner surface portion of the cylinder neck; an elongated fluid passageway means (230A) disposed through the piston aperture in a fluid-­tight manner; an externally-channeled, hollow exten­sion (232) slidably engageable with the inner surface portion of the cylinder neck and carried by the over­cap throat, the hollow extension carrying the fluid passageway means (230) and providing fluid communica­tion between the fluid passageway means and the fluid-­mixing region, at least one external channel (270) of the hollow extension being able to provide fluid communication between one of the two cylinder chambers (246A) and the fluid-mixing region, whereby rotation of one of the cylinder and overcap relative to the other about the longitudinal axis causes relative movement as between the hollow extension and the cyl­inder neck along the longitudinal axis; first valve means (234) carried by the base; second valve means (236A) carried by the fluid passageway means and abut­tingly engaging the first valve means; and third valve means (238A) provided by the relative movement as between the hollow extension (232) and the cylinder neck (242A) along the longitudinal axis, for controll­ably affecting flow between said one of the two cylinder chambers (246A) and the fluid-mixing region, said relative movement as between the hollow extension and the cylinder neck along the longitudinal axis also causing the first (234) and second valve means (236A) to co-act in such a manner as to controllably affect flow of a pressurized fluid from a pressurized-fluid source to the fluid passageway means and to an other of the two cylinder chambers (248A), the fluid passage­way means (230A) thereby providing fluid communica­tion between the pressurized-fluid source and the fluid-mixing region.

Claim 13

The system of claim 9, characterized in that the elongated fluid passageway means (230A) car­ries the hollow extension (232) at one end portion thereof, and wherein the second valve means (236A) is a duck-bill valve defining a flexible duck-bill portion that is disposed in the opposite end portion of the elongated fluid passage means (230A), the duck-­bill valve further defining an annular washer portion (376) which is urged by an end portion of the fluid passageway means (230A) into abutting engagement with the first valve means (234).

Claim 14

The system of claim 9, characterized in that one end portion of the elongated fluid passageway means (230A) carries the second valve means (236A) and wherein the first valve means (234) defines a flexible conical skirt portion that externally, cir­cumferentially and sealingly overlies the end portion of the fluid passageway means carrying the second valve means.