A fluid dispensing device

• Main Authors: GODFREY, JAMES WILLIAM, HEDLEY, MARK GRAHAM
• Format: Patent
• Language: English
• Published: 22.09.2011
• Subjects: APPLYING LIQUIDS OR OTHER FLUENT MATERIALS TO SURFACES, IN GENERAL; ATOMISING APPARATUS; BOTTLES, JARS OR SIMILAR CONTAINERS; DEVICES FOR INTRODUCING MEDIA INTO, OR ONTO, THE BODY; DEVICES FOR PRODUCING OR ENDING SLEEP OR STUPOR; DEVICES FOR TRANSDUCING BODY MEDIA OR FOR TAKING MEDIA FROMTHE BODY; DISPENSING, DELIVERING OR TRANSFERRING LIQUIDS, NOT OTHERWISEPROVIDED FOR; HUMAN NECESSITIES; HYGIENE; LIQUID HANDLING; MEDICAL OR VETERINARY SCIENCE; NOZZLES; OPENING, CLOSING; PERFORMING OPERATIONS; SPRAYING APPARATUS; SPRAYING OR ATOMISING IN GENERAL; TRANSPORTING

A fluid dispensing device 1405 for dispensing a fluid product having a dispensing outlet 1411 from which the fluid product is dispensable, a supply of the fluid product, a dispensing member 1430 mounted for movement in a dispensing direction along an axis X-X from a first position to a second position which causes a dose of the fluid product in the supply to be dispensed from the dispensing outlet, and a finger-operable actuator member 1420 mounted for movement in an actuating direction which is generally transverse to the axis. The actuator member has at least one cam surface 1422 and the dispensing member has at least one cam follower surface 1492. The actuator member is movable in the actuating direction to cause the at least one cam surface to bear against the at least one cam follower surface to force the at least one cam follower surface to ride over the cam surface to cam the dispensing member in the dispensing direction from the first position to the second position. The at least one cam surface has a commitment section 1423a, oriented at a first angle to the axis, and an adjacent drive section 1423b, which is oriented at a second angle to the axis which is greater than the first angle. The device is configured and arranged such that, in use, the at least one cam follower surface successively rides over the commitment and drive sections of the at least one cam surface, on movement of the actuator member in the actuating direction, to cam the dispensing member from the first position to the second position. The first angle is selected such that a minimum actuating force is required to be applied to the actuator member to cause the at least one cam follower surface to ride over the commitment section onto the drive section. The commitment section of the cam surface is arcuate (e.g. concave).