Adapter, fluid dispensing device with same and assembly method

Abstract

The invention relates to an adapter (1) for use in a fluid dispensing device (10), in particular a spray or drip pump, for dispensing liquids, as well as a fluid dispensing device (10) with such an adapter (1) and a method for assembling the fluid dispensing device (10). To make it more difficult to detach a lower part (11) of the fluid dispensing device (10) from an upper part (12) of the fluid dispensing device (10), the adapter (1) has an annular base body with an inner surface that encloses a through-opening (2) for receiving a first sleeve (13) and is provided with an internal locking structure (3), and an outer surface that can be inserted into an opening of a second sleeve (14) and is provided with an external locking structure (4).In this case, at least one of the locking structures (3, 4) is designed such that, when the adapter (1) is connected to a sleeve (13, 14), the resistance to a relative movement of the adapter (1) to the sleeve (13, 14) in a first direction along the longitudinal axis (L) of the adapter (1) is greater than in a second direction opposite to the first direction.

Description

[0001] The invention relates to an adapter for use in a fluid dispensing device, such as a hand-operated pump, in particular a spray or drip pump, for dispensing liquids, as well as a fluid dispensing device with such an adapter and a method for assembling the fluid dispensing device.

[0002] Such pump systems are often manufactured using a modular system, in which individual parts are inserted into one another and connected with form or press fits. Typically, two large subassemblies are assembled: the upper and lower sections, which are then married, i.e., assembled, in a final assembly step.

[0003] DE 10 2013 218 802 B4 and DE 10 2015 104 646 B3 each disclose such fluid dispensing devices comprising an upper and a lower part that are connected to each other during assembly. The upper part has a head with a sleeve, and the lower part is provided with a sleeve, also known as a cone. These two sleeves, which together form a fluid channel, are inserted into each other during assembly of the fluid dispensing device. A press fit and / or a positive connection then holds the two sleeves securely in place during operation of the fluid dispensing device.

[0004] It is generally known that fluid dispensing devices are used to dispense unpreserved products. These are protected from the contaminated atmosphere by various safety barriers throughout the system. It is important that such pumps are used correctly at all times and not disassembled to ensure protection at all times and that the protective barriers are not circumvented. Therefore, the press fits of the assembled parts are selected so that it is difficult for a user to separate the upper part from the lower part. With known fluid dispensing devices, it is sometimes possible to separate the lower part from the upper part and then put them back together later. However, once these two parts of the pump are separated, protection against contamination is no longer guaranteed.Furthermore, after reassembling, it's impossible to determine that both parts were previously separated and that the product being dispensed might be contaminated. Such manipulation of the pump can therefore lead to contamination, without any traceability of the source.

[0005] The object of the invention is therefore to prevent, as far as possible, tampering with fluid dispensing devices by disassembling the upper part from the lower part and, in the event of such tampering, to make further use of the fluid dispensing device more difficult. In other words, disassembly should either be made impossible or disassembly should be detectable afterward, so that tampering can be clearly proven.

[0006] This object is achieved by an adapter according to claim 1, a fluid dispensing device according to claim 7 and a method according to claim 11.

[0007] The present invention is based on the idea of ​​providing an adapter that is suitable for securely connecting the upper part and the lower part of a fluid dispensing device. Such an adapter for connecting a sleeve of an upper part and a sleeve of a lower part of a fluid dispensing device can, according to the invention, have an annular base body with a longitudinal axis. An inner surface of the adapter encloses a through-opening for receiving a sleeve, for example of the lower part, and is provided with an inner locking structure. Furthermore, the adapter is provided with an outer surface that can be inserted into an opening of a sleeve, for example of the upper part, and has an outer locking structure.At least one of the locking structures, in one embodiment also both locking structures, is designed such that, when the adapter is connected to the respective sleeve, the resistance to a relative movement of the adapter to the sleeve in a direction along the longitudinal axis is greater than in a direction opposite to this direction. In particular, at least one of the locking structures is designed such that the resistance to a relative movement of the adapter to the sleeve in a disassembly direction along the longitudinal axis is greater than in an assembly direction opposite to this disassembly direction. In other words, it is easier to connect the adapter to the respective sleeve, i.e., to push the adapter onto a sleeve, for example, the sleeve of the lower part, or to insert the adapter into a sleeve, for example, the sleeve of the upper part, than to separate the adapter from the respective sleeve, i.e.,to pull the adapter off or out of a sleeve.

[0008] If the internal locking structure is designed such that in an assembled state, i.e. when the sleeve of the lower part is received in the adapter, the resistance to displacement of the adapter on the sleeve of the lower part in a first (dismantling) direction along the longitudinal axis is greater than in a second (assembly) direction opposite to the first direction, pulling the adapter off the sleeve is made more difficult due to the comparatively high disassembly force required for this. Since the adapter can thus be connected comparatively firmly to the sleeve of the lower part, an appropriate design of the interface to the upper part can ensure that this fails in the event of a tampering attempt before the connection between adapter and lower part is released.On the other hand, due to the comparatively lower resistance, the adapter can easily shift on the sleeve of the lower part if an attempt is made to reconnect the upper and lower parts. This change in the position of the adapter on the sleeve of the lower part compared to the original assembly position during the reassembly attempt can make reassembly impossible and / or further use of the pump impossible. Thus, an adapter according to the invention can both provide tamper protection and provide evidence that a system has been tampered with.

[0009] In an adapter according to the invention, the inner locking structure can have at least one projection with an insertion bevel that projects radially inward from the inner surface. The insertion bevel is preferably designed such that it reduces the inner diameter of the adapter in the first direction in sections and forms an undercut with a partially enlarged inner diameter. The insertion bevel is preferably arranged such that the adapter can be pushed onto the sleeve of the lower part with a (assembly) force that is lower than the force required for disassembly. With this design, the inner locking structure can wedge itself into the sleeve of the lower part in the disassembly direction, whereas in the assembly direction, assembly is still easily possible due to the insertion bevel. The inner lock preferably digs deep into the so-called cone, i.e.the sleeve of the lower part, which makes the connection so strong that it cannot be separated even with pliers.

[0010] Both the inner locking structure and the outer locking structure can be formed by a single, e.g., circumferential, projection or by multiple, e.g., wedge-shaped, projections. If multiple projections are provided, they can be offset from one another in the circumferential direction and / or in the direction of the longitudinal axis. The resistance to relative movement of the adapter to a sleeve can additionally be defined by further design measures, for example, by different surface roughnesses and / or by further projections, for example in the form of one or more ribs extending parallel to the longitudinal axis, or in the form of one or more beads extending in the circumferential direction.

[0011] If the inner surface has a first region with a first inner diameter and a second region with a smaller inner diameter than the first region, material from the sleeve of the lower part can be displaced or peeled off into the first region when attempting to detach the adapter from the lower part, thereby increasing the resistance to disassembly. The two regions are preferably separated from each other by the at least one projection of the inner locking structure.

[0012] According to a further embodiment, the outer surface of the adapter can be provided with an external locking structure designed such that, when the adapter is received in the sleeve of the upper part, the resistance to displacement of the adapter in the sleeve of the upper part in the first (assembly) direction along the longitudinal axis is smaller than in the second (dismantling) direction opposite the first direction. This also makes disassembly more difficult than assembly. For this purpose, the external locking structure can have at least one projection projecting radially outward from the outer surface with an insertion bevel, which partially enlarges the outer diameter of the adapter in the second direction and forms an undercut with a partially reduced outer diameter.

[0013] A particularly strong connection between the adapter and the pump sleeves can be achieved by using a material with a Shore D hardness (according to DIN EN ISO 868) of over 75, especially between 80 and 90, such as metal or plastic. A preferred material for the adapter is polyoxymethylene (POM), which can have a Shore D hardness (according to DIN EN ISO 868) of 83, for example.

[0014] In a fluid dispensing device according to the invention with an upper part which has at least one sleeve with a sleeve inner diameter, and a lower part which can be connected to the upper part and which has at least one sleeve with a sleeve outer diameter, the sleeve of the upper part can be connected to the sleeve of the lower part by means of an adapter of the type mentioned above, wherein the adapter is connected to the sleeve of the upper part and the sleeve of the lower part in a form-fitting manner and / or by means of a press fit.

[0015] Preferably, the sleeve of the lower part can be made of a material with a Shore D hardness (according to DIN EN ISO 868) of less than 75, in particular between 45 and 70. Suitable materials for the sleeve of the lower part include polypropylene (PP), 65 to less than 75, and polyethylene (PE), e.g., with a Shore D hardness (according to DIN EN ISO 868) of approximately 45 (for PE-LD) or 64 (for PE-HD).

[0016] If the sleeve of the upper part of the fluid dispensing device has a radially inwardly projecting protrusion that forms a snap-in connection with the undercut of the outer locking mechanism, the adapter and upper part can be connected in a defined and secure manner. At the same time, the force required for assembly can be adjusted so that, after manipulation, the adapter slides along the sleeve of the lower part instead of sliding further into the sleeve of the upper part.

[0017] Preferably, the sleeve of the upper part, the sleeve of the lower part, and the adapter are designed and coordinated in such a way that the assembly force F1 required to insert the adapter into the sleeve of the upper part is greater than the assembly force F2 required to attach the adapter to the sleeve of the lower part, and that the disassembly force F3 required to remove the adapter from the sleeve of the upper part is smaller than the disassembly force F4 required to remove the adapter from the sleeve of the lower part. This allows both tamper protection and proof that a system has been tampered with, as described above.

[0018] A method according to the invention for assembling a fluid dispensing device of the type mentioned above comprises the following steps: providing an upper part having at least one sleeve with a sleeve inner diameter, a lower part having at least one sleeve with a sleeve outer diameter, and an adapter; then inserting the adapter into the sleeve of the upper part; then inserting the sleeve of the lower part into the adapter. This assembly sequence ensures that the adapter is not displaced during initial assembly into a position that would indicate tampering or prevent complete assembly or use of the pump.

[0019] The terms upper part and lower part of the fluid dispensing device are not to be understood as limiting. The upper part can have a fluid outlet in the form of a nozzle or the like, and the lower part can be connected to or have a fluid container. In principle, however, the lower part can also have a fluid outlet in the form of a nozzle or the like, and the upper part can be connected to or have a fluid container. The fluid dispensing device is described herein in part using the example of a hand-operated spray pump. However, the fluid dispensing device is not limited to such a pump. Rather, the adapter can also be used in other fluid dispensing devices.

[0020] The invention is described below using preferred embodiments in conjunction with the drawings, which schematically show: Figure 1A shows a perspective view of an adapter according to a first embodiment of the invention, Figure 1B shows a view of the adapter according to Figure 1A from the bottom, Figure 1C a side view of the adapter Figure 1A , Figure 1D is a sectional view along the line AA in Figure 1C of the adapter Figure 1A , Figure 2A in sectional view a fluid dispensing device according to an embodiment of the invention after assembly, Figure 2B in sectional view the fluid dispensing device according to Figure 2A with shifted adapter, Figure 2C in sectional view the lower part of the fluid delivery device according to Figure 2A , Figure 2Din sectional view of the lower part of the fluid dispensing device according to Figure 2A with shifted adapter, Figure 3A in perspective view an adapter according to a further embodiment of the invention, Figure 3B a view of the adapter according to Figure 3A from the bottom, Figure 3C a side view of the adapter Figure 3A, and Figure 3Your sectional view along the line AA in Figure 3C of the adapter Figure 3A .

[0021] The one in the Figures 1A to 1D The adapter 1 shown has a substantially cylindrical base body which encloses a central through-opening 2 along a longitudinal axis L. The adapter 1 is made of a comparatively hard plastic, for example POM with a Shore D hardness (according to DIN EN ISO 868) of approximately 83.

[0022] The inner surface of the adapter 1, which surrounds the through-opening 2, is provided in the illustrated embodiment with a radially inwardly projecting projection 3, which forms an inner locking structure for fastening the adapter 1 to a component (not shown). The projection 3 has a Figure 1D lower insertion bevel and forms on its Figure 1D upper side has an undercut. This allows the adapter 1 to be mounted on a Figures 1A to 1DThe sleeve-shaped component (not shown) can be moved from top to bottom with less resistance than in the opposite direction. Figure 1D The area of ​​the adapter 1 located above the projection 3 has a larger inner diameter than the area located below the projection 3.

[0023] Similarly, the outer surface of the adapter 1 is provided with a radially outwardly projecting projection 4, which forms an external locking structure for securing the adapter 1 in a component (not shown). The projection 4 has a Figure 1D upper insertion bevel and forms on its Figure 1D The adapter 1 has an undercut on the bottom side. This allows the adapter 1 to be inserted into a Figures 1A to 1D A sleeve-shaped component (not shown) can be moved from bottom to top with less resistance than in the opposite direction.

[0024] In the illustrated embodiment, additional inner and outer locking structures are provided, which are designed as ribs 5, which are provided parallel to the longitudinal axis L on the outer surface of the adapter 1 and distributed regularly around the circumference, or as radially inwardly projecting circumferential beads 6 on the inner surface. The ribs 5 can also serve as a support structure / stabilization for the large diameter offset and / or the beads 6 can serve for sealing. Furthermore, it is possible to select the surface roughness of the inner surface and / or the outer surface such that a high clamping force can be achieved between the adapter 1 and the component(s) connectable to it.

[0025] A further embodiment of an adapter 7 according to the invention is shown in the Figures 3A to 3D The embodiment according to the Figures 3A to 3D The basic structure corresponds to that in the Figures 1A to 1DThe first embodiment shown has a base body that surrounds a through-opening and has an inner projection 8 as an inner locking structure. An outer locking structure is formed by a plurality of wedge-shaped projections 9, which are arranged evenly distributed around the circumference on the outer surface of the adapter 7.

[0026] In the Figures 2A and 2B A fluid dispensing device 10 is shown in two different states. The fluid dispensing device 10 comprises, for example, an adapter 1 of the type described above and a Figures 2C and 2D shown lower part 11 and a for reasons of clarity only shown in the Figures 2A and 2B shown upper part 12. The lower part 11 can be connected to a container, not shown, in which a fluid that can be dispensed by means of the fluid dispensing device 10 is contained.

[0027] The lower part 11 includes, among other things, a sleeve 13, which can sometimes also be referred to as the cone of a pump. The upper part 12 is also provided with a sleeve 14, which can be part of the head of a pump. The sleeves 13 and 14 can be made of a softer plastic than the adapter 1, for example, PP or PE.

[0028] The adapter 1 connects the sleeve 13 with the sleeve 14 and thus the lower part 11 with the upper part 12 of the fluid dispensing device 10. For this purpose, in the Figure 2AIn the state shown, the adapter 1 is first inserted into the sleeve 14 of the upper part 12 until the outer projection 4 engages behind a retaining groove 15 in the sleeve 14. Instead of such a snap-in connection or in addition thereto, the outer surface of the adapter 1 can be pressed into the sleeve 14. Subsequently, the adapter 1 received in the sleeve 14 is pushed onto the sleeve 13 of the lower part 11, whereby the projection 3 of the adapter 1 digs into the sleeve 13.

[0029] The adapter 1 is matched to the sleeves 13 and 14 in such a way that a force F1 for mounting the adapter 1 in the sleeve 14 is greater than a force F2 for mounting the adapter 1 on the sleeve 13. In addition, the adapter 1 and the sleeves 13 and 14 are matched to one another in such a way that a force F3 for dismantling the adapter 1 from the sleeve 14 is smaller than a force F4 for dismantling the adapter 1 from the sleeve 13. This can be achieved, for example, by dimensioning the projections 3 and 4, by selecting suitable diameters for the base body of the adapter 1 and / or by selecting suitable surface roughnesses.

[0030] This leads to an attempt to Figure 2AIn the state shown of the fluid dispensing device 10, in order to pull the upper part 12 from the lower part 11, very high forces are initially required, which can prevent such detachment of the upper part 12 in most cases. If the forces applied to detach the upper part 12 exceed the force F3, the connection between the adapter 1 and the sleeve 14 fails, whereas the adapter 1 remains connected to the sleeve 13. If an attempt is now made to reconnect the upper part 12 to the lower part 11, the comparatively smaller force F2 for mounting the adapter 1 on the sleeve 13 causes the adapter 1 on the sleeve 13 to Figure 2B is moved downwards without the adapter 1 connecting to the sleeve 14. The lower part 11 and the upper part 12 are therefore not reconnected via the adapter 1, and any manipulation by removing the upper part 12 from the lower part 11 is easily recognizable by a user.

[0031] The relative movement between the upper part 12 and the lower part 11 can be as in Figure 2B shown be limited if the Figure 2B upper end of the sleeve 13 abuts against a projection in the sleeve 14 or against a component inserted into it.

[0032] Independently of the fixed connection between the upper part 12 and the lower part 11 via the adapter 1, the fluid dispensing device 10 can have a further snap-in connection 16 between a component of the upper part 12 and a component of the lower part 11. In addition to providing additional protection against accidental removal of the upper part 12, this primarily serves to protect the internal components of the fluid dispensing device 10 against the ingress of dirt and the like.

[0033] The function of the adapter 1 or 7 according to the invention and the associated advantages are summarized below: One aim of the invention is to make disassembly of a fluid dispensing device 10 more difficult. To enable a very high holding strength between the upper and lower parts 11, 12, the adapter 1 or 7 is specially designed and constructed. It includes two very strong undercuts formed by the inner and outer locking structure of the projections 3, 4. These wedge into their respective counterparts, i.e., the sleeves 13, 14, in the disassembly direction. In the assembly direction, they have an insertion bevel to further facilitate assembly.

[0034] The internal locking mechanism of the projection 3 digs deep into the so-called cone, i.e., the sleeve 13. The connection is so strong that it cannot be separated even with pliers. This is also achieved by the materials. The adapter 1 is made of a hard plastic (e.g., POM), while the cone (sleeve 13) is made of a softer plastic.

[0035] In the head of the fluid dispensing device 10, i.e., the sleeve 14, which forms the counterpart to the outer locking mechanism of the projection 4 of the adapter 1, the retaining groove 15 is formed on the inner diameter, behind which the outer locking mechanism of the projection 4 engages, thus enabling a high level of retention. The head is made of a harder material than the cone, for example, and the locking mechanism does not dig into the head to the same extent as it does into the cone. This makes disassembly significantly more difficult, but not impossible. This serves as tamper protection or as evidence that a system has been tampered with.

[0036] During the production of the fluid dispensing device 10, the adapter 1 is inserted into the upper part 12 (head) in the first step. In the second step, the lower part 11 is assembled to the upper part 12 including the adapter 1. Thanks to the insertion of the one-sided locking devices, all components can be easily assembled to one another but are difficult to disassemble.

[0037] If the disassembly force F3 from adapter 1 to upper part 12 is smaller than the disassembly force F4 from adapter 1 to lower part 11, this means that during disassembly the adapter 1 is always pulled out of the upper part 12 and remains stuck on the lower part 11. The disassembly force F4 is preferably so large that it is not possible to pull the adapter off, even with pliers, without damaging the entire lower part. If, in addition, the assembly force F1 from adapter 1 to upper part 12 is greater than the assembly force F2 from adapter 1 to lower part 11, this means that when you try to put the pump back together, the adapter 1 slides down on the cone of the lower part 11. This makes it no longer possible to insert the adapter 1 into the head of the upper part 12. The lower part 11 can therefore no longer be connected to the upper part 12. Once dismantled, it is therefore no longer possible to reassemble the lower part 11 and the upper part 12. Reference numbers

[0038] 1Adapter 2Through opening 3Protrusion (inner locking structure) 4Protrusion (outer locking structure) 5Rib 6Bead 7Adapter 8Protrusion (inner locking structure) 9Protrusion (outer locking structure) 10Fluid delivery device 11Lower part 12Upper part 13Sleeve (cone) 14Sleeve (head) 15Retaining groove 16Snap connection Longitudinal axis

Claims

1. Adapter (1, 7) for connecting a sleeve (14) of an upper part (12) and a sleeve (13) of a lower part (11) of a fluid dispensing device (10), wherein the adapter (1, 7) has an annular base body with • a longitudinal axis (L), • an inner surface which encloses a through-opening (2) for receiving a first sleeve (13) and is provided with an inner locking structure (3; 8), and • an outer surface which can be inserted into an opening of a second sleeve (14) and which is provided with an outer locking structure (4, 9), wherein at least one of the locking structures (3, 4, 8, 9) is designed such that, when the adapter (1) is connected to a sleeve (13, 14), the resistance to a relative movement of the adapter (1, 7) to the sleeve (13, 14) in a first direction along the longitudinal axis (L) is greater than in a first direction opposite second direction.

2. Adapter according to claim 1, characterized in thatthe inner locking structure has at least one projection (3, 8) projecting radially inward from the inner surface with an insertion bevel which reduces the inner diameter of the adapter (1, 7) in the first direction in sections and forms an undercut with a sectionally enlarged inner diameter.

3. Adapter according to one of claims 1 or 2, characterized in that the outer locking structure has at least one projection (4, 9) projecting radially outward from the outer surface with an insertion bevel which partially enlarges the outer diameter of the adapter (1, 7) in the second direction and forms an undercut with a partially reduced outer diameter.

4. Adapter according to one of the preceding claims, characterized in that at least one of the locking structures is formed by a circumferential projection (3, 4, 8).

5. Adapter according to one of the preceding claims, characterized in thatthe inner surface has a first region with a first inner diameter and a second region with an inner diameter smaller than the first region.

6. Adapter according to one of the preceding claims, characterized in that the adapter (1) is made of a metal or a plastic with a Shore D hardness (according to DIN EN ISO 868) of more than 75, in particular between 80 and 90.

7. Fluid dispensing device (10) with an upper part (12) which has at least one sleeve (14) and a lower part (11) which can be connected thereto and which has at least one sleeve (13), characterized in that the sleeve (14) of the upper part (12) is connected to the sleeve (13) of the lower part (11) by means of an adapter (1, 7) according to one of the preceding claims, wherein the adapter (1, 7) is connected in a form-fitting manner and / or by means of a press fit to the sleeve (14) of the upper part (12) and the sleeve (13) of the lower part (11).

8. Fluid dispensing device according to claim 7, characterized in that the sleeve (13) of the lower part (11) is made of a material with a Shore D hardness (according to DIN EN ISO 868) of less than 75, in particular between 45 and 70.

9. Fluid dispensing device according to claims 5 and 7 or 8, characterized in that the sleeve (14) of the upper part (12) has a retaining groove (15) and / or a radially inwardly projecting projection, which form a snap-in connection with the undercut of the outer locking means (4, 9).

10. Fluid dispensing device according to one of claims 7 to 9, characterized in thatthe sleeve (14) of the upper part (12), the sleeve (13) of the lower part (11) and the adapter (1, 7) are designed and matched to one another in such a way that the assembly force (F1) required to insert the adapter (1, 7) into the sleeve (14) of the upper part is greater than the assembly force (F2) required to attach the adapter (1, 7) to the sleeve (13) of the lower part, and that the disassembly force (F3) required to pull the adapter (1, 7) out of the sleeve (14) of the upper part is smaller than the disassembly force (F4) required to pull the adapter (1, 7) off the sleeve (13) of the lower part.

11. A method for assembling a fluid dispensing device (10) according to claims 7 to 10, comprising the following steps: • Providing an upper part (12) which has at least one sleeve (14), a lower part (11) which has at least one sleeve (13), and an adapter (1, 7) according to one of claims 1 to 6, • Inserting the adapter (1, 7) into the sleeve (14) of the upper part (12), • Then inserting the sleeve (13) of the lower part (11) into the adapter (1, 7).

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